In Somepony's Shadow

Chapters

Arc 1: Another Sleepless Night
Breakfast in the Gardens
Dueling Dream
Dinner With a Princess
Trixie's View
Friend Like Me
First Lesson
That Something Special
Great and Powerful Illusions
Mischief Revealed
Lessons Learned
Dinner Party Invitations
Dinner Party - Part 1
Dinner Party - Part 2
After Dinner Comforting
Shenanigans
At the Gala - Part 1
Arc 2: Grand Plans for the Grand Galloping Gala

Arc 1: Another Sleepless Night

Trixie grumbled to herself a series of phrases that were not meant to be said in public. Of course, she could have yelled it out with a megaphone for all the audience in front of her seemed to care. In fact, she couldn’t even call this…this “crowd” an audience for the complete and utter lack of attention they were giving her. Her eyes scanned the crowd for any sign that somepony, anypony was actually looking at her, but all she was met with was a colorful display of the back of everypony’s head.

She took a deep breath in an attempt to suppress the growing annoyance with the situation at hoof. Sure, everything seemed like it would be perfect for her. The day was absolutely lovely; the sun was bright and shiny, and there didn’t seem to be a cloud in the sky. And when she wandered into this town and saw a giant crowd gathering, well, she couldn’t resist the urge to put on a show. Catching their attention, however, was proving a more difficult challenge than she thought it would.

“Okay, fine, make the Great and Powerful Trixie work for it. But after this next trick you’ll never want to take your eyes off Trixie ever again!”

Spreading her legs apart just enough to brace herself, Trixie channeled every last bit of magic she could draw upon into her horn. Soon it began to glow brightly with the pale, blue aura of the unicorn mare, whose eyes were closed in absolute concentration. Her mind wracked itself for something big, something that just simply could not be ignored.

Several seconds later, Trixie herself began to glow as the illusion took place. Of course, to the onlookers it would look more as if Trixie was getting bigger, bulkier, and hairier as her equine form shifted into something more ursine. The sparkly dust design of her cutie mark began to shift and grow to cover the growing body, the small sparkles growing and twinkling like little stars against the darkening blue fur. Of course, the real Trixie was simply hiding within the illusion’s dark colors, which also kept her from seeing the audience as well. She doubted that the illusionary nature would be that much of a comfort when the sudden roar of an Ursa Minor echoed throughout the town square.

Exhausted but horn still glowing as she kept up the illusion, Trixie waited patiently for her favorite sound in the entire world: applause. When a moment passed with nothing but the sound of her own panting, she thought that the crowd had simply been stunned into silence. The sudden roar of laughter, however, made Trixie a little less certain that she was getting the positive reaction she had wanted.

“Hey look, we got another Ursa to ‘vanquish,’” a stallion yelled out in between fits of laughter.

“Yeah, and maybe this time it will stay out of town,” a mare’s voice added.

Trixie quickly faded the illusion away, not wanting to waste the magic on the ungrateful naysayers. With the last of it gone she could see the real target of the audience’s attention. It just had to be that lavender coated unicorn, Twilight Sparkle. She was just sitting at a table eating an oatburger in apparently the messiest way possible, her face completely slathered in ketchup. As far as the awestruck looks on the faces of the crowd were concerned, however, one would think her to be as majestic as Princess Celestia. Of course, with her recent ascension to alicornhood that comparison wasn’t exactly off either.

Taking a deep breath to regain composure, she turned her attention to the hecklers.

“Oh ha ha, Trixie gets it. Trixie failed to beat an Ursa Minor and ran out of town, so let’s throw that back in her face!” she said with a roll of her eyes.

“Oh yeah, what are you going to do about it? Trap us in a fishbowl again?” another stallion said, causing the small group of ponies around to laugh.

“Trixie already apologized for that, and she wasn’t exactly in her right mind,” she yelled, giving them a glare.

“Wouldn’t that require you to be in the right mind in the first place?” the stallion replied before laughing again.

Trixie simply glared at the stallion, but before she could say anything they started turning their attention back to Twilight. The alicorn was blissfully unaware of the attention she was getting as she levitated a soda for a sip, causing a slurping noise to ring out amongst the crowd.

“All she’s doing is drinking a soda! What’s so great and powerful about that!?” Trixie said, pressing a foreleg onto her forehead in hopes of relieving her growing headache.

“Well darling, to you it may just be ‘enjoying a soda,’ but to us she’s the Element of Magic and the newest alicorn princess, enjoying a soda,” some white coated unicorn with way too curly a mane responded. Trixie recognized the pony, but she couldn’t quite put a name to her.

”Such grace, such refinement, such poise! A ratty old showmare like you simply doesn’t have the elegance to understand.”

“She’s covered in ketchup from head to hoof!” Trixie yelled back, ”It’s like she’s never even heard of a napkin!”

But apparently at this time the crowd had turned back to admiring Twilight, who apparently had moved on from the soda to enjoying her fries. Trixie continued to yell out at the crowd, but the more she did the more obvious it was that they decided to ignore her. She yelled, shouted, insulted, and even levitated some pebbles at their heads, but they were all simply too enraptured with Twilight to apparently care. Finally, having enough of it, Trixie stomped her hoof so hard that she left a crack in her stage.

“Fine! Keep your precious Twilight. So what if she’s the Element of Magic and Trixie barely passed magic school!” she shouted, her voice starting to waver. “A-and who cares if she’s an alicorn princess who can stop an Ursa Minor all by herself. T-Trixie’s….Trixie’s…”

A half-bit conpony

A ratty old showmare

“T-Trixie’s a nopony…” she finished, the anger gone as she stood there quivering, trying to hold back tears.

Who was she to try and compete with Twilight Sparkle in the first place? Trixie wasn’t an Element of Harmony. Trixie was never the personal student of a princess. And Trixie was definitely not an alicorn princess. She couldn’t even stand up to an Ursa Minor, a feat Twilight had done ages ago and could probably do in her sleep after her fancy schmancy upgrade.

Trixie simply slumped to the stage floor, not feeling a desire to even bother anymore. As she laid there, the world around her began to fade, as if it was slowly disappearing. But before she did, she swore she saw a dark-coated pony, face covered by a black cloak, watching her from the crowd. For a brief moment, Trixie reached out towards it, as if compelled to interact with this pony who had started to fly up and towards her.

Then the world turned dark.

Trixie bolted upwards, sweat dripping down her muzzle as she struggled to catch her breath. She glanced around the interior of her wagon, half expecting to see the mocking faces of the crowd from her nightmares. Instead, she found herself barely able to make out the sight of the covers that had fallen haphazardly onto the floorboards below. Even if she could barely see, she was sure that there was no pony else in there with her; no mocking crowds, no alicorn Twilight Sparkle, and definitely not that mysterious figure.

Grumbling, she rolled and twisted until she heard the clunking of her hooves hitting the floor. Floundering in the dark a bit, she eventually brushed up against the window/stage curtains and pulled them aside. She had to wince a bit at the full moon sitting high up in the sky.

With a sigh, she closed the curtains again, and resigned herself to this being yet another sleepless night for the Great and Powerful Trixie. Like clockwork, her horn glowed as she channeled magic through it, a small burst of energy shooting towards the magic-powered lantern that sat attached to her roof. A barely audible hum could be heard as her magic worked through the focus crystal inside the lantern, warming it up until it began to glow with a yellow-orange hue reminiscent of candlelight. Sure she could use a candle, but why do that when you had magic? Besides, it was much safer. Crystals didn’t risk setting your wagon-home on fire after all.

Now that she had some light, she could better make out the interior of her wagon. There wasn’t much in it; she had enough room for supplies, some stage equipment, and a small bookshelf for whatever she could scrounge up for reading on her travels. But her eye settled on something in particular: a newspaper clip she had taped to the wall.

“’Equestria Celebrates the Coronation of Princess Twilight Sparkle’,” she mumbled to herself as she read the now quite familiar headline to herself yet again.

The coronation had been a few months ago, and Trixie remembered that day well. It helped that she had been in Canterlot at the time, hoping to take advantage of the crowds gathered there for the celebrations to make a good couple of bits. Oh, and to support Twilight, of course. After all, they had separated on rather cordial terms after the whole Alicorn Amulet incident several months back. Even in these nightmares, Trixie noticed she didn’t seem to put much blame on Twilight for the actions of others.

So what, then, was causing her to have these nightmares? Her shows that day had been okay, even if everypony was distracted by the coronation, among other issues. But that was to be expected; no matter how “great and powerful” she was, there was no way she was going to upstage an alicorn princess.

“That’s the problem,” she muttered as she laid on her bed. After realizing what she said, however, she shook her head; those weren’t thoughts she was supposed to have. Good friends didn’t think that about each other, right?

On a purely theoretical level Trixie thought she understood this whole friendship thing. You were supposed to be glad of the accomplishments of your friends, and she considered Twilight Sparkle a friend. A rival at the same time, yes, but it was a friendly rivalry. Furthermore, Trixie was proud of Twilight for what she had done; she was one of what, two new alicorns since Luna and Celestia? The other was that Princess Cadence, of course, but Trixie hadn’t personally battled her in a duel so she didn’t care all that much about her.

Yet thinking about that brought not only pride in her friend, but also this intense feeling of…jealousy was about the only word to describe it really, and Trixie really hated admitting even that much. She shouldn’t feel that way and yet every time she saw something in the news about Twilight’s princesshood Trixie felt a mixture of pride, envy, and utter annoyance at the whole situation.

It didn’t help any either that even after all this time, she would still have ponies heckling her show about the Ursa Minor incident, though they had drastically reduced the teasing about that. Instead, her recent bit of madness with that amulet and trapping an entire city in a fishbowl opened up a whole new avenue for hecklers. Oddly enough, Trixie appreciated those a little more than the ponies who simply avoided her shows in fear of her. Hecklers she could challenge to a duel; ponies that spread stories about her being dangerous and crazy weren’t so easily handled.

With another sigh, Trixie levitated over the newspaper she had bought in town that she had not yet gotten the chance to read. All this thinking about Twilight wasn’t going to help her with getting back to sleep, but the news would probably help. Upon unravelling it, however, she glared as she found herself faced with a picture of Twilight Sparkle eating a hamburger and surrounded by fillies. The foals of Ponyville had started stalking her or something, but the details were lost to Trixie as the newspaper was crumbled up and ejected from her wagon, lost to the night.

Apparently Trixie was definitely not going to get to sleep tonight.

As the dream world faded back into the darkness of the night, Luna slowly blinked her eyes in mild confusion. She was quite surprised to find that she had been evicted out of the showmare’s dream and returned back to her chambers in the real world. It had been a long time since such a thing had occurred. Normally, it was her that would end the dream, and only after helping guide the pony through whatever it was that had been troubling them. To have failed to even make contact like she had, well, that was troublesome.

Luna shifted from her position on the bed, taking a moment to stretch her out a bit. Even after all the time it took to find a comfortable position to take her walks through dreams, returning back to her physical body always felt stiff and confining. Once she felt loose and limber she gently stepped onto the stone floors, making her way to the balcony.

The moon was out in its full glory, with not a cloud to be seen as per her request to the Canterlot weather service. It was a little concerning to see that it was the height of its majesty, if only because it meant that the mare whose nightmare she had witnessed was in for a rough night. The emotions that a nightmare such as that one would bring up in the mare were beyond the simple fright of a monster. Luna truly doubted that the mare would sleep again tonight, a doubt that was born out of her own experiences.

Glancing up at the moon, her memory drifted toward one of the darker periods of her life, when it was not a thing of serene beauty but a prison for the dreaded “Mare in the Moon.” Even now, long after the events of her escape and redemption, she shuddered at the thought of the monster she had become, that “Nightmare Moon” who had tried to plunge Equestria into eternal darkness. Yet while rejecting what she had become, she had to also accept the emotions that had led to her fall in the first place: jealousy, anger, lashing out a world that she felt perpetually cast her in the shadow of her sister.

The same emotions that she could sense coming from this Great and Powerful Trixie. Sure, she had a thick coat of bravado to hide it, but Luna could sense that underneath it all was great pain. After all, the crowd wasn’t real, but a reflection of Trixie’s own subconscious thoughts and feelings, feelings that had just begun to break her by the dream’s end. It was just an unfortunate twist of fate that Luna had not acted in time and allowed Trixie to wake up before an intervention could occur.

Yet, as much it pained her to think so, Luna didn’t think immediately locating Trixie and speaking to her directly was the best option. It would be an easy enough task to accomplish, but there had been something about the dream she found odd, something that needed to be investigated before she could truly help the showmare. It was hard to miss the presence of Twilight Sparkle in the dream; the crowd made that quite clear. Obviously, then, Trixie and Twilight had a history of sorts, a history that she would need to explore in order to understand the whole story.

We shall have to ask our sister about whether she recognizes this Trixie from Twilight’s reports once she awakens.

With one last glance to the moon, Luna made her way back to her bed. While Trixie’s dream was most troubling indeed, there was nothing she could do about it until morning. The other ponies that twisted and turned in terror at night would need her help until then.

Author's Note

Well, been a long time coming, but finally giving fanfiction another shot. This particular fic was inspired by random thoughts and an RP event on my roleplay forum. That won't be going the same way, but still, gotta get that inspiration from somewhere.

Breakfast in the Gardens

As the moon shone for its last few seconds before disappearing below the horizon, Celestia steadied herself for the rising of the sun. Focusing on the celestial object, she reached out to it with her magic, her horn’s glow signaling the dawn of a new day. While many ponies believed that after over a thousand years of rising and setting both the moon and sun such a task would be the simplest of tasks to the alicorn, she knew that it was still required great effort and precision. One simple mistake could send the fields of Equestria ablaze, or plunge the planet into a cold no winter could ever hope to create by itself.

Of course, the thousand years of practice did make it a teeny bit easier.

At the very least, she was able to perform this momentous task while enjoying a morning cup of tea and taking a glance to the doorway where her dear sister currently stood.

“I hope you had a pleasant evening Luna. I take it you’ll be heading to bed now?” Celestia said, giving her a sister a pleasant smile.

It was well known that unless her royal duties demanded otherwise, Luna would retire to her chambers during daylight hours. The rumors, of course, said that anyone who interrupted her during such time would face the full fury of an angry alicorn, but Celestia and some of their closest staff all knew the worst that would happen was a pillow to the face from a grumpy little princess. Still, Luna quite rightfully protected her precious time to sleep, so Celestia was surprised to find Luna shaking her head.

“Nay sister, instead I wish this morning to enjoy breakfast with Twilight and yourself . There is a matter that I wish to look into that I may need her assistance with.”

“Oh, and what would that be?” Celestia said, raising an intrigued eyebrow as her horn dimmed, the sun now set on its path for the day.

“Last night while I walked amongst the disturbed dreams of our citizens, I happened upon one that I was forced out of before I was able to intervene,” Luna said, making her way into Celestia’s chambers proper before joining her on the balcony.

“Really now? That is a rare occasion indeed; no wonder you’re interested in researching the matter further,” Celestia said, sipping tea, “And just who was it that accomplished such a feat?”

“A mare that called herself ‘The Great and Powerful Trixie,’” Luna replied, “I believe she may know our Twilight Sparkle seeing as her dream centered upon her.”

Celestia set down her teacup on the nightstand, levitating a drawer open before pulling out several pieces of parchment and handing them off to Luna.

“Indeed, Twilight has had several encounters with Trixie, and they have not exactly been the most pleasant ones either. These are the letters she sent me about her. I hope you will find something that will be of use.”

Grabbing a hold of the letters with her own magic, Luna skimmed through the reports. Her eyes widened, surprised at some of the contents. Ursa Minors? Trapping Ponyville in a fishbowl? The Alicorn Amulet? Sure, Luna had read Twilight’s friendship reports occasionally, but she had never inquired much into the details behind the events of many of them. This…this did help to add some level of sense to Trixie’s dreams. Yet there was still something else missing to the puzzle.

“Yes, these will help, but I still believe talking with Twilight may further illuminate the situation,” Luna said, placing the letters down.

“Sounds like a good plan, and at the very least I am sure she will be excited to see you join us for breakfast.”

“What do you mean Princess Luna is joining us for breakfast!?” Twilight said, her wings flaring out.

Even after having them for these last few months, Twilight found that still couldn’t seem to keep them under control when her anxieties flared. She often wondered why she couldn’t have gotten Fluttershy’s problem of having them lock up on her instead? At least that wouldn’t accidentally smack Spike with a face full of feathers and cause the guard-pony to look at her funny.

“It means what it means. Princess Celestia sent me to inform you that your visit has been moved to the gardens as Princess Luna wishes to join you,” the guard replied, the exasperation barely hidden under the polite but stern tone of his voice.

“Relax Twilight, she probably wasn’t ready for bed yet and decided to eat with you two. It’s not like there’s a national emergency or something going on,” Spike said, climbing onto Twilight’s back in a futile attempt to push her wings back down to her side.

“But that’s just it Spike! Princess Luna almost never joins us, and when she does it’s because there’s some kind of big emergency, or some other royal function! Oh no...,” Twilight said, quickly levitating out an agenda from her carrying case and rapidly flipping through it.

“Princess, I can assure you that…”

The guard-pony’s words were lost as Twilight frantically flipped through her agenda not once, not twice, but three times. He glanced up to Spike, who simply shrugged.

“You get used to this sort of thing,” Spike said as Twilight finally finished with a relieved sigh, now more secure in the knowledge that she did not in fact mess up the schedule. Combined with the calm of the guard, it was probably a good enough sign that there were no major emergencies to be concerned about.

“I guess you’re right Spike; it’s just a friendly breakfast visit,” she said, giving her number one assistant an apologetic grin for not listening to him as her wings finally relaxed and fell to her side.

“Told you there wasn’t anything to worry about,” he replied, turning around a little before getting comfortable on Twilight’s back and closing his eyes, “Anyway, wake me up once we get there. That flight cost me a good hour of my morning nap, and I’m going to get back every minute of it”

Twilight rolled her eyes but smiled. It wasn’t that long of a walk to the gardens, but she’d let him have his little cat nap. Besides, Princess Celestia always provided a bowl of gems for him whenever he came for these breakfasts. He’d wake up without any issue soon enough.

“Even after all this time, I feel a little nervous seeing that space empty,” Luna said as she glanced at the base that was once the place where the statue of Discord stood.

“I still expect to wake up one evening and find that my moon has indeed been made into cheese, as the foal’s story goes.”

Celestia let out a small laugh before taking a sip of her now second cup of morning tea. While there was plenty of fresh fruits and breads on the table, she wished to wait for Twilight before indulging in them, no matter how much the chocolate muffins called to her.

“I would not worry much my dear Luna. The letters Fluttershy have sent me on his progress suggest he had has made many strides in coming to understand the value of friendship. I have no illusions that road ahead will not be tough, but I have faith that he’ll make it someday.”

Before Luna could respond, she spotted Twilight and apparently her very comfortable dragon companion walking around the corner of the hedges. She seemed a little nervous, but still she smiled as she approached the table. For a moment she began to bow, but Celestia raised a hoof and smiled.

“Twilight, there’s no need for such formalities, remember? This is a breakfast between equals after all.”

Twilight sheepishly grinned.

“Sorry. I guess I’m still not used to thinking of us as being like that.”

“It’s perfectly alright Twilight. Cadence had the same problem when she became an alicorn,” Celestia said, laughing a little at the memories of when Cadence had first ascended and her own adjustments to being a princess, “But for now, we’re simply enjoying a breakfast as friends. Come on, sit, the muffins smell particularly delicious today.”

Luna watched silently as Twilight made her way to the table and sat down. The nervousness she showed of not feeling exactly up to the situation she had found herself in was understandable. For now, however, all Luna could offer her was a pleasant smile in hopes it would calm her down a bit.

“Was your ride here pleasant Twilight? It seems your companion found it to be quite comfortable,” Luna said, hoping some pleasant conversation would be a more proper way to start things off before diving into her questions.

“Oh, it was really good, although Spike here was a little grumpy being woken up so early,” she replied, laughing a little bit as Spike stirred a bit, mumbling something about Rarity, “Although, if he doesn’t wake up soon he might miss the big bowl of sapphires sitting here just for him.”

Luna watched with amusement as the dragon’s eyes shot right open. He shifted around just a little bit until he spotted the bowl, mouth open in anticipation for the talonful of them he quickly grabbed. Just before he gorged himself on them, however, he stopped and took a look around.

“Heh heh, morning everyone. Uhm, lovely weather we’re having. Boy, those Canterlot pegasi really know their stuff huh?”

The whole group of alicorns gave a laugh as Spike put all but one gem back into the bowl. He munched on it as he dismounted Twilight, face reddening as he sat down beside her.

“Some things never change do they Spike?” Celestia said as the last of her giggles escaped her. “Now then, there is one matter of business to attend to before we fully enjoy ourselves. If you would, Luna.”

Luna watched as Twilight’s face contorted into a nervous grimace. Aware of mare’s propensity for anxiety, Luna swiftly moved to prevent her imagination from spiraling out of control.

“There is nothing to be worried about Twilight. I simply wished to inquire about a pony you may have met by the name of the Great and Powerful Trixie.”

“Pfff, that blowhard?” Spike said, throwing another gem into his mouth as Twilight glared down at him.

“Spike!”

“Sorry,” Spike replied, rolling his eyes a little bit. Luna took this rather blunt response as a confirmation that the past encounters the duo had with Trixie were indeed rather unpleasant.

“You’ll have to forgive him, he’s still a little mad about how Trixie treated all of us during the incident with the Alicorn Amulet, which of course we both remember had corrupted Trixie’s mind,” she said, her tone sharpening and glance gazing in Spike’s direction as she emphasized the corruption part.

“Yeah, but she still sought it out in the first place. I get that she apologized and all but I still can’t see why that means I have to like her,” Spike replied, huffing a little before eating another gem.

Celestia and Luna simply sat back and watched as Spike and Twilight began to devolve into an argument about apologies and forgiveness, Luna paying particularly close attention. Was this the kind of attitude that Trixie had to face? Ponies who, while she had clearly wronged them in a fit of madness, refused to accept her apologies and continued to mock and scorn her? Or was this simply a result of Spike’s protectiveness of Twilight clouding his judgment? In either case, getting to the bottom of it would require a bit more activeness on her part.

“ENOUGH!” Luna said, using a diluted version of the Royal Canterlot Voice to get their attention, although the look of surprise and fear on Twilight and Spike, and simply a raised eyebrow from Celestia, made her regret doing so. She quickly coughed before speaking up again.

“I mean, there is no need to bicker like this. Spike, I empathize with the sentiments you have expressed. Trixie’s actions with the Alicorn Amulet were indeed rash, and it is also true she wronged many ponies as a result of her poor decisions.”

Spike smiled triumphantly, but Luna wasn’t finished. She took a deep breath to shore up her own strength for what she was about to say. Celestia looked as if she was about to intervene, but Luna gave her a glance to let her know it would not be necessary.

“There have been many ponies, however, who have made similar rash and unpleasant decisions, and it cost them dearly. True, many of them have no regrets and instead simply continue as they were before. Some, however, truly regret what they have done.”

While Luna thought she could finish without any issue, she found herself looking away from the others.

“F-for example, not a night goes by that I don’t remember becoming Nightmare Moon, and as you recall from that Nightmare Night I visited Ponyville, plenty of other ponies haven’t forgotten my actions either.”

Spike’s look of triumph quickly deflated as he remembered how the ponies of Ponyville had initially treated Luna that night, the fear that was on their faces every time Luna had looked at her. More importantly, he remembered Twilight describing how hurt Luna had been at the rejection.

Luna, of course, had hoped that such memories would be invoked by her speech. The emotions she saw on Trixie’s face in front of that crowd were eerily reminiscent of her own emotions from that Nightmare Night. Unlike Trixie’s nightmare, however, Luna’s situation eventually reached a happy conclusion. What was left to determine, then, was whether Trixie’s story went the same way.

“Yeah yeah, I guess I get your point,” Spike said, crossing his arms and sighing. He smiled as he felt Twilight give him a gentle nuzzle.

“Forgiving somepony who has done you a great harm can often be one of the most difficult challenges a pony can face,” Celestia said as she finally joined in, calmly sipping her tea, “And in fact, I set this breakfast here right by where Discord’s statue used to be, just in case a little reminder of that lesson was needed.”

It was now Twilight’s turn to look away embarrassed as everyone at the table knew quite well that Twilight still wasn’t exactly happy about Discord’s being free and taking up the occasional residence at Fluttershy’s. She perked up, however, as she suddenly realized a rather obvious question that needed to be asked.

“So…why did you bring up Trixie anyway?”

“A fair enough question Twilight,” Luna replied.

“Last night I visited her nightmare, but before I could intervene to assist she awoke, forcing me out of the dream. I will keep the contents of her dream a secret for the sake of her privacy, but it was my hope that by asking you about your encounters I may gain more insight as to how to best help her.”

“Oh, of course! What did want to ask me about?” Twilight replied, the look of concern on her face quite clear, a thought that comforted Luna greatly. At the very least, whatever had happened between Twilight and Trixie in the past, it seemed that the two mares had indeed forgiven one another. Still, more information would be needed.
“Based on your assistant’s reaction, the first question I have is this; did she seem sincere in her apologies after you relieved her of the Alicorn Amulet?”

Twilight quickly nodded a yes.

“She seemed quite sincere to me, in her own way of course. If it was anypony else, declaring themselves the “Great and Apologetic” anything might have made me a little unsure, but that’s about what I would expect her to do. She even added her own fireworks to the show I was putting on the for the Saddle Arabian diplomats as an apology gesture.”

“I see. And the incident itself, if your reports were accurate, started because Trixie wished to defeat you in a duel after being humiliated by you in a prior engagement with an Ursa Minor?”

Seeking out an artifact like the Alicorn Amulet was a particularly strong reaction in all but the most dire of situations. Twilight’s report about the Ursa had mentioned both Trixie and Twilight had attempted to stop it, with Twilight proving successful. Was there something in the details that would explain why in the aftermath of a challenging but over all minor situation she had taken such drastic steps?

“Twilight didn’t humiliate her, she saved the whole town after Snips and Snails lured it there! And it was totally awesome too,” Spike said, having regained his nerve to join in the conversation. Twilight gave him a disapproving look, but otherwise she let the statement slide.

“Snips and Snails, two foals from Ponyville, brought the Ursa Minor into town after a certain someone,” Twilight glanced over at Spike,” told them not to believe anything Trixie said without seeing it for themselves, which included a claim of having defeated an Ursa Major. In Trixie’s defense, she did attempt to subdue the Ursa.”

“Did she now? And how successful were her attempts to subdue the beast until you arrived?”

“They sunk faster than a boulder in a river,” Spike chimed in. When Twilight rolled her eyes, he simply shrugged. “Hey, just telling the truth; nothing she did even slowed the thing down.”

Twilight simply sighed.

“...Anyway, she left after that, and we didn’t see her again until she came to Ponyville to challenge me to a duel. Apparently word had gotten around about what had happened and began to mock and harass Trixie about it. I guess eventually she had enough of it and decided to put all the blame for it on me.”

Luna nodded; that seemed to be the missing detail she had needed to explain the jump to the Amulet. Twilight been successful in defeating an Ursa Minor that Trixie had failed to even phase. The result of that was a loss of reputation as a magician and subsequent harassment that eventually drove the mare over the edge and drastic measures to ‘correct’ the perceived injustice done to her only to yet again be defeated.

So what did that mean for her current situation? Considering the reaction of ponies to simply failing to stop an Ursa Minor, a perfectly understandable failing even in the best of conditions, it would not be much of a surprise to her if they weren’t exactly forgiving about the Amulet either. Twilight’s new status as an alicorn probably did not help to soften things, serving as yet another possible reminder of her supposed “superiority” to Trixie. It seemed, then, that Trixie’s dream could have arisen from particularly strong case of jealousy mixed with the a sense of frustration of being rejected by others that Luna found herself feeling almost uncomfortably familiar with.

“Yes, well….I think I have begun to get an understanding of the situation. Your assistance is much appreciated Twilight, Spike. I will let you know how my attempts at helping Trixie fare. For now, however, let us enjoy this delightful breakfast that has been prepared for us,” Luna said, sweeping a foreleg over all the food.

However, Luna couldn’t help but notice that several of the chocolate muffins were missing, and that Celestia was currently wiping her mouth with a napkin until all eyes settled on her. Luna raised an eyebrow, and all Celestia had to offer was a small laugh.

“Sorry, but the temptation was simply too strong to resist any further.”

Author's Note

This chapter is primarily being set up and giving me an excuse to try and write out Twilight, Spike, and Celestia a bit before throwing them into larger roles. Also, there might be some editing done later as I am sort of releasing it before my proofreader Akito gets a chance to go in and dig at it outside of general content ^_^". Shouldn't affect anything important though.

Dueling Dream

As the dulled eyes of the bored and uninterested crowd stared lazily at her, Trixie found herself starting to sweat. Nervously swallowing in hopes of dampening a dry throat, she glanced over the crowd to see if there was at least somepony who looked entertained. The only signs of movement she saw, however, was a pony in the back stretching as he yawned. All in all, it seemed that she, the Great and Powerful Trixie, was appearing as dull as a rock to this crowd. If there was anything that a showmare found worse than being ignored, it was being considered a bore.

“A-and for her next trick, the Great and Powerful Trixie will…”

“Can we leave now? This shows a total dud,” a stallion’s voice rang out, followed by the murmurs of assent spreading throughout the crowd around him.

“Trixie is not holding you hostage: you are free to leave whenever you want!” Trixie replied, turning away with a little “humph” in attempt to show that she did not need the stallion or his friends’ attention.

“Whatever. Hey, I heard Twilight’s doing a show soon.”

Trixie’s eyes widened but she refused to turn around.

“Really? Awesome!”

Trixie kept her back to the audience, but she found it hard to keep herself standing tall and proud.
“If we leave now I bet we can get front row seats!”

To anypony who was bothering to pay attention to Trixie at this point, they would have spotted the confidently rigid posture of the mare slowly deteriorating into a defeated slouch. Of course, Trixie figured that nopony was looking at her at this point. Even without looking at the crowd, the sounds of their excited chattering and hooves clip-clopping on the ground could tell her that they were all leaving. Taking a deep sigh, Trixie finally just sat down: there was no point in trying to appear impressive anymore.

“Maybe Trixie should just call it quits…”

“Nay good citizens! You should not yet leave for the show has only just begun!”

Everypony stopped in their tracks at the sudden shout echoing throughout the air. Turning around, Trixie’s jaw dropped in confusion and awe as the sky darkened into night and a dark figure appeared, silhouetted against the light of the full moon.

“No, it can’t be. Can it?” Trixie muttered to herself as the figure glided down towards the stage, making it quite clear to all present that Princess Luna had decided to grace the show with her presence

The rest of the crowd had already positioned themselves to bow, but Trixie was already too busy looking dumbfounded to remember to do so. While Trixie had seen the photos when she had first returned to Equestria, and had even glimpsed her from the crowds during Twilight’s coronation, they failed to prepare Trixie for meeting Princess Luna in the flesh. From a distance Luna hadn’t seemed that much bigger than a normal pony, but up close Trixie had to gulp just a little bit; there was something intimidating having to look up at a pony twice about as twice as tall as yourself. And photos definitely failed to capture the regal-ness of the princess’s ethereal mane, which even now sparkled with star-like twinkles as it rippled behind her by what Trixie could only assume was magic.

“Thou art the Great and Powerful Trixie, correct?” Luna said, the sound of her voice knocking Trixie out of her stupor.

“Huh?! Oh, uhm…yes?” Trixie replied, backing up just a little bit as she found herself facing the stern look of the princess, her eyes darting up and down as if she was surveying prey.

“Why art thou so meek? Is this the manner in which the proclaimed ‘most powerful mare in Equestria’ should act?” the princess asked. For a moment Trixie thought she saw a small smile form on Luna’s face, but that only drove Trixie to be confused even further.

“Meek? T-Trixie was simply startled by your sudden appearance,” Trixie replied, planting her hooves more firmly on the ground as she puffed her chest out again, “And what can the Great and Powerful Trixie do for you, your majesty?”

“We have heard your claims of being Great and Powerful and have decided to put thee to the test,” Luna said, causing Trixie’s chest to tighten up.

“T-test?”

“Indeed Trixie: upon hearing of your great deeds, we have decided to personally challenge thee to a magic duel.”

For a moment the entire crowd, and Trixie, stared at Luna with wide-eyed silence before the crowd burst into laughter as Trixie uncomfortably looked away. Luna remained steadfast as the crowd began to beg her to reconsider: to challenge Trixie was a waste of time after all. It wasn’t like she was actually great and powerful after all: she was just a liar and a cheat. After a moment or so Luna finally responded to the crowd’s derision.

"Silence!"

As the Royal Canterlot Voice blasted the crowd, in a quite literal fashion, the laughter was instantly silenced. Trixie, who had turned away in embarrassment at being publicly mocked in front of the princess, instantly turned her attention towards the princess.

“We appreciate your concerns for our time and efforts, but it is we who shall determine who is worthy of dueling us. If you feel this is a waste of time, then you are free to leave. Otherwise, stay and prepare to watch two masters of magic battle.”

Trixie glanced over the crowd, wanting to try and gauge their reaction. The uncomfortable glances they all gave one another made it obvious they wished to argue but had been cowed by the princess’s proclamation. None of them made a move to leave, however, although Trixie figured this was simply because they wished to see her humiliated in what would appear to them to be such a horribly one-sided battle.

Of course, it wasn’t like Trixie was feeling all that confident in her abilities right now either. Sure, she challenged ponies as part of her act, but it was usually small stuff against other, normal ponies. This was a challenge being thrown to her by Princess Luna. She was an alicorn, mistress of the night, raiser of the moon and walker of dreams. Even at the best of times, Trixie had to admit her ego couldn’t be strong enough to think this a fair fight.

All of a sudden, there was a chill in the air as the world turned into a gray monotone, as if time itself had frozen. The only exception to this was herself and Princess Luna, who now gazed at her with a firm but warm smile. Trixie, of course, could only glance around in confusion.

“Since when could you stop time…?”

Luna let out a small laugh as she gave a wry little smile.

“Tis an easy enough task, when one is in a dream of course.”

Trixie blinked, tilting her head a little.

“This…this is all a dream?”

Luna gave a nod.

“Yes, all that has occurred here has been a dream. Did you not notice how suddenly the sky turned from day to the middle of the night?”

“…no, Trixie didn’t actually. It just kind of seemed normal.”

“Indeed, that is the power of a dream: it makes even the most abnormal and illogical of things appear perfectly normal to believe.”

Trixie turned to look at the motionless audience: all the mocking, all the jeering was just a bad dream. Yet why would she dream of such things in the first place? More importantly, why was Luna bothering to show up in her dream? Before Trixie could ask, she felt the princess’s hoof gently lying on her shoulder. Facing her, Trixie found herself looking straight into the princess’s eyes, which stared at her gently as the princess’s smile turned into a look of concern.

“I sense that you are confused as to my presence here. Is that a safe assumption for me to make?”

Trixie simply nodded, eliciting a gentle smile from the princess.

“As you may be aware, I make a habit of entering the dreams of my subjects to assist them in chasing away that which terrorizes them.”

“Yeah…but Trixie thought that was just something you did for foals?”

Luna playfully laughed.

“I do believe it is not just foals who find themselves plagued with nightmares Trixie.”

“Fair enough point,” Trixie replied, “But why are you in Trixie’s dream? Isn’t there somepony else more important you could be visiting?”

Trixie noticed Luna’s eyes widened just a bit for a second before regaining their composure, although Trixie could still feel tenseness in the foreleg that still rested on her shoulder.

“Trixie, during my travels last night I happened upon your dream, the one with Twilight Sparkle in it.”

Trixie turned away from the sympathetic look of the princess, embarrassed that she had seen such an obviously jealousy infused nightmare.

“I wanted to let you know that you are not the first to be haunted by such feelings towards another. I too have struggled with envy towards one who I thought stole the adoration of others.”

“Trixie is not jealous of Twilight!” Trixie said, shrugging her shoulder to escape from the admittedly comforting hold of the princess.

Of course, she was lying, and she knew that Luna knew she was lying. That last dream alone would have been enough to tell that. But despite the obviousness of her lie, Trixie felt like she had to tell it. Despite the oddity of the thought, she felt if she said it often enough it would be true and she could just get on with her life as a “reformed” pony.

“…very well then. In any case, my goal for this meeting was not to delve into that matter, but to instead make your audience a little more…agreeable.”

Trixie turned around with a raised eyebrow.

“And just how are you going to do that?”

Luna gave her a conspiratorial smile.

“As I have said, I wish to challenge you to a duel.”

Trixie gave the princess a flat look, wondering just what did she think that was going to accomplish.

“And you expect Trixie to be able to duel on par with an alicorn princess? Despite Trixie’s great and powerful abilities, she wouldn’t dream of being able to…match…”

Trixie stopped, realizing just what she was about to say, as Luna continued to watch her with a sly little grin.

“This is a dream…Trixie’s dream…which means Trixie can do whatever she wants…”

Trixie found herself joining Luna in grinning. Sure, in the real world Trixie wouldn’t stand a chance, but in the world of dreams, bounded only by her creativity, she could keep up with the princess without a problem.

“I see you’ve realized the nature of this competition. This is not a test of your magical skills per se, but of your creativity.”

“Wait…this is still a test?” Trixie replied, her smile faltering just a bit as she watched Luna move back to the position she was in before “time froze”, the sly grin still on her face as she waved her hoof. As she did so, the color and noise soon returned to the world.

“Let us begin this battle, oh Great and Powerful Trixie!” Luna said, the sly smile now replaced with a competitive but playful scowl.

It took Trixie a second to catch on to what had just happened as the crowd began to murmur, but now that things were in motion it was time for Trixie to do what Trixie did best: show-off.

“It is only fair that the challenger get the first move After all, you’ll need all the help you can get if you wish to win against the Great and Powerful Trixie,” Trixie said, punctuating the boast by rearing backwards and, with some slight assistance from some wind magic, letting her cape flutter behind her in a dramatic fashion.

“Very well Great and Powerful Trixie, but thy boasting comes too early. Have thou already forgotten that we are the Mistress of the Night, commander of the stars above?”

With just quick turning of the head, Luna’s ethereal mane whipped outward. The star-like twinkles that had laid in her hair flew out over the crowd, glowing brighter and brighter until the sheer power of the white light was almost blinding. Everypony stared in awe as they took a sharp turn and flew upwards, leaving behind them a glittering cloud of stardust that settled onto the crowd.

Trixie was, of course, as awed as the crowd, but quickly regained her senses before they noticed. Turning her head to the side, she put on a look of boredom and dismissively waved a hoof.

“Pffft, big deal: so you can make some shiny lights and make ponies a little dusty. Watch as the Great and Powerful Trixie shows you what a real light show is like.”

Grinning, Trixie braced herself as several bolts of magical energy shot forth from her horn, piercing Luna’s stars. The balls of piercing white light exploded, bathing the audience in a barrage of every color of the rainbow. For once the crowd had nothing to say about Trixie, only staring silently with gaping mouths as the lights faded away. A smarmy grin placed itself on Trixie’s face as she glanced over at the princess, who was simply watching with a barely noticeable smile.

“Impressive oh Great and Powerful Trixie; few are able to take control of the spells of an alicorn such as we,” Luna said, turning around to face Trixie again.

“It seems that we may, as you ponies may say, ‘step up our game.’”

Trixie watched as Luna calmly closed her eyes, the tip of her horn glowing a soft blue. Soon a faded image began to form at both sides of Luna, and as the seconds passed more and more images formed until they surrounded Trixie. They soon solidified into exact clones of the Princess, all with a sly smile on her face as they took a step towards Trixie.

“Now then, Great and Powerful Trixie, we have heard thou art a master of illusion,” the clones said in unison, an effect that was quite unsettling Trixie as she spun around to look at them all.

“We challenge thee to figure out which of us is the true Princess Luna. When thou have made your choice, strike at us with any spells thy wish to use.”

“Hah, easy peasy,” Trixie said, her smarmy smile quivering a little bit.

From the looks of things, the clones were perfect. Normally duplication spells had some kind of small flaw on them. After all, most ponies weren’t completely aware of how they looked like. A buckle might be off on a garment, or maybe they forgot to fake a shadow. To no surprise of Trixie, however, the duplicates of the Princess were flawless. Unless Luna cheated and just took advantage of the dream world to just make more of herself. That was a rather silly thought, however, as Trixie couldn’t even imagine that an alicorn would need to stoop to such things.

Tapping her hoof to her chin, Trixie figured the only way out of this was to do something clever. Luna didn’t exactly say how she was supposed to figure out which one was real, and if she was supposed to strike at her with magic…

“Behold as the Great and Powerful Trixie deals with these imposters.”

Trixie closed her eyes, concentrating on the air around her. She had some knowledge of elemental control in the real world. After all, she did have the power to make clouds and lightning. All she had to do was draw out the water from the air around her, and the dew on the ground, and whatever sources of water were nearby. Here in the world of dreams, however, she simply imagined that at the tip of her horn a giant ball of water would appear. As a drip of water struck her nose, Trixie opened her eyes to find a ball the size of her wagon had appeared above her. The Princess clones looked at the ball and then back to her, stepping back just a touch as Trixie grinned.

“The Great and Powerful Trixie hopes you all enjoy bath time.”

Summoning up an umbrella-like shield over herself, Trixie simply let go of the water and let gravity do the rest. Upon being smacked with the force of the water, the clones instantly disappeared, leaving only a drenched Princess Luna…and a drenched audience as well. With a pop Trixie’s umbrella disappeared, leaving her the sole dry pony in the dream.

“Thou chose a pragmatic if quite blunt response to our challenge Trixie,” Luna said, shaking in an attempt to dry herself off.

Her mane was no longer ethereal, and instead clung around her head like any other ponies. It was quite a lovely shade of dark blue really, but considering it had completely covered Luna’s head Trixie’s response was more to snicker than admire any kind of beauty in it. Even the audience started to snicker just a bit, although the fact that the target of such mockery was the Princess meant everypony tried their best to stay quiet.

“Well, you never said that Trixie had to decide which was the real you before striking. Just doing both at the same time was rather efficient, don’t you think?” Trixie said, giving a grin as she glanced over at Luna, whose mane had now finally begun to return to its former ethereal state.

“Tis a true enough statement, Great and Powerful Trixie,” the Princess said, “But we had hoped for something more…clever than simply dumping water on everypony. Still, you have successfully determined that we are the real Luna, and therefore we believe you to have won this round”

“Hmph, you’re just mad because you got all wet,” Trixie said, the comeback popping out before she could even think of what it was that she just said.

That, of course, was definitely not something one was supposed to say to a princess. Trixie cringed and turned away, only turning back just enough to glance and see what Luna would respond with. Instead, she simply looked at her, her mouth annoyingly neutral enough that Trixie couldn’t figure out if she was mad or not, then turned to the audience. As her horn glowed, both herself and the crowd found themselves enveloped in the soft, bluish glow of Luna’s magic. Within seconds the water evaporated off of them, leaving everypony with dry, if kind of poofy, coats once again.

Dry one more, Luna turned to face Trixie, who was half expecting the princess to berate her for such a rude statement. Instead, Luna simply smiled.

“Indeed, perhaps we were simply being, as the saying goes, ‘a sore loser’,” Luna said, bringing a great sense of relief to Trixie.

“Still, such brute force will not be of assistance in dealing with my last and final challenge,” Luna said, her horn glowing again as a soft and gentle melody floated through the air.

“Hah, the Great and Powerful Trixie is ready for…”

The stage began to shake as the deep thumps of something tremendous approaching rang out into the night air. After a second or two bits of blue could be seen coming out of the woods that Trixie did not exactly remember being there a moment ago. What she did remember, however, is where she had seen that blue, and her heart skipped a beat as she began to tremble, her eyes widened in fear.

“L-Luna, can we please stop the challenge now…” Trixie whimpered, but it was drowned out by the mighty roar of an Ursa Minor as it entered the scene.

“Trixie, for thy final challenge, we wish for you to…Trixie?” Luna said, but Trixie didn’t even hear it as she backed away from the approaching monster, her eyes shut as tight as she could.

“I-it’s just a dream, it’s just a dream, it’s..just…a…that’s it!”

Trixie awoke in a panic, quickly jumping up and checking around to make sure that…thing was, in fact, just a dream. Her ears swiveled, trying to pick up any sounds of a roar or rumbling footsteps. All they caught, however, was the silence of the night, minus the occasional crickets chirping. Taking a deep breath to calm herself down, Trixie collapsed back onto bed.

“Well, that went horribly,” she said, burying her face into her pillow.

Not only had she mouthed off to the princess, but she chickened out and probably just kicked her out of the dream again. Whatever it was that Luna had wanted to test her for, Trixie was sure she probably just failed big time. She would probably never show up in her dreams anymore after that performance. Yep, she’d probably just write Trixie off as a hopeless situation and move on to some other…

Trixie found her thoughts interrupted by the sound of a fire blazing up for a second before what sounded like paper dropping to the ground. Getting up, Trixie spotted a rolled up piece of parchment on the floor. Levitating it over, she noticed that the seal was a royal blue color with Luna’s cutie mark on it. Quickly undoing the seal, she opened up the letter and began to read:

Dear Trixie,

I would like to apologize for making you face an Ursa Minor. It was my hope that facing down the beast that had started your troubles in the safety of the dream world would help you in overcoming the troubles that plague you in the real world. I had not anticipated that you would react with such strong aversion, but do know that your reaction was understandable considering your history with such beasts. To show the sincerity of my apology, I invite you to a personal dinner at Canterlot Castle at your convenience. There is a matter that I wish to discuss with you, and I would be most grateful if you will overlook my mistake and come.

Sincerely,
Princess Luna

“Wait…she’s inviting me to dinner?” Trixie said, blinking a bit in confusion before re-reading the letter.

She half expected there to be a catch, but she spotted none. The situation really was that Luna was sorry and wished to apologize in-pony over dinner. No sign of insincerity, no sign of this being a joke: just a true blue invitation for a dinner with the Princess. Trixie couldn’t help but grin just a little bit. If this is what she got because Luna scared her with an Ursa, well, she figured it was worth it.

Dinner With a Princess

The sun began to set over the snow-capped mountain that shadowed over Canterlot, the blazing orange slowly shifting into the darkened violet of the night sky. Or at least, that was supposed to be the case. Yet, as Celestia began to lower the sun, she had yet to see the moon rising to fill its place in the sky. A glance at her sister’s balcony showed that she was present, but it seemed she was distracted by the table and cushioned chairs she was arranging on it. Curious as to what had caused her sister to be pacing nervously about as the world, and one of the chefs from the royal kitchens who was standing by Luna impatiently, for night to arrive, Celestia took flight.

“She is a travelling showmare and therefore spends a lot of time on the road, yes? So, a simple platter of breads, cheese, fruits, and vegetables would be most comfortable for her, correct?” Luna said, glancing over at the unicorn mare in a fluffy white chef’s hat.

“I suppose so your majesty. Is that what you wish us to bring for your dinner tonight?” the mare replied, Luna noticing the barely restrained rolling of the eyes.

Taking a moment to take a calming breath, Luna gently placed a hoof on the shoulder of the chef. Her frustration was quite reasonable in retrospect. The last hour or so had been spent discussing the plans for tonight’s dinner, and despite the certainty in wanting the dinner, Luna had been much less certain as to what to serve at it.

“My apologies, Miss Soufflé, for this constant questioning. It has simply been a long time since I have had a dinner of this sort of intimacy with somepony other than my dear sister. Much has changed since then and I am simply…nervous as to what may be considered appropriate.”

The mare nodded with a smile.

“I understand your majesty, but based on the information you have given us your guest should be arriving soon. If you wish for my opinion, the platter idea you suggested sounds rather reasonable. As you said, a mare constantly on the road may not be used to the…finer dishes that our chefs could prepare. It also presents a more relaxed, casual atmosphere that may make your guest more comfortable considering the situation.”

The mare’s words were of great comfort to Luna, and with a nod of approval she dismissed her to begin to prepare the meal. With, of course, and additional request for some coffee to start with. While the nightlife was livelier in these days than in the past, the night was still quite a difficult time for many ponies to remain awake. The introduction of such a stimulating drink as coffee into the diet of ponies was one of Luna’s favorite advances since her banishment to the moon. Since her plan was to talk for quite some time with Trixie, such stimulation may prove useful in ensuring she would not fall asleep too soon.

“I see you are being quite thoughtful with your dinner tonight dear sister.”

Luna slightly jumped, startled out of her thoughts as Celestia swooped into a landing on the balcony.

“Relax, Luna, twas but a simple joke. Still, you are unusually nervous for what is supposed to be a simple dinner. You’ve even forgotten to raise the moon in your worrying about your dinner plans.”

“Oh, has the time come already?! I was simply caught up in the details on what to serve…” Luna said, blushing from embarrassment at forgetting about the time.

With haste she walked to the balcony edge, her horn glowing with a blue aura of energy as she focused her attention on pulling the moon up into the sky and lighting the stars for the night. As she did she could feel her sister’s wing drape across her back, and her side leaning slightly into her. Instinctively, Luna snuggled into her sister, the tension in her body relaxed by her comforting touch.

“I am sure that Trixie bears no ill will towards you Luna. It was, after all, a simple mistake. Based on Twilight’s words it was surprising she was still so traumatized by the sight of an Ursa.”

“Thank you sister, but that is not the only thing about that night that has weighed on my mind.”

With the moon now safely up in the sky, full and white so as to provide a perfect setting for tonight’s events, Luna sat down in one of the cushioned chairs as Celestia sat in the one across from her. The table was empty for now, but Soufflé had by then returned with a cart with a piping hot pot of coffee and all the various creams and sugars ponies commonly used to flavor it. After a quick exchange of thank yous, the two sisters began to make their drinks as their discussion continued.

“Is there something about Trixie that is bothering you?” Celestia replied as she stirred in a rather generous amount of sugar from what Luna would guess.

“Yes. On the one hoof, her dreams showed a rather strong sense of vulnerability in her. Her fear of being rejected by others appears quite genuine,” Luna said as she placed a very small amount of cream into her own coffee,” However, in our duel her responses seemed rather….aggressive in their response to my magic.”

Celestia nodded with a slight grin.

“Indeed, you told me how she dropped what felt like a small lakes worth of water on top of you. It would have been quite a sight to see you drenched as such,” she said with a slight giggle that induced a slight rolling of the eyes in Luna.

“Yes, it was a humorous sight indeed, but every response to my magic was done to embarrass me as well as to show off her own abilities. While some level of that is to be expected in a magic duel, the degree to which she did so seemed rather…excessive.”

Luna waited as Celestia took a sip of her drink. She expected another joke about being a ‘sore loser’ or of some such, but instead found herself watching her sister close her eyes in deep thought for a moment before speaking again.

“Are you concerned about the possibility of a repeat of the Alicorn Amulet incident?”

It was hard for Luna to ignore the sudden return of tension to her chest as Celestia brought up that accursed thing. The stories that Twilight told of what Trixie did under its influence were quite disturbing. Yet, despite the desire to say that she expected Trixie had learned her lesson, Luna was quite aware of what ponies who were desperate could possibly be capable of.

“In…some ways, yes, I am concerned about her future. While I do not doubt the sincerity of her feelings, I am worried that without proper guidance it is possible that she may, what is the saying, ‘fall off the buggy?”

“Fall off the wagon, Luna, and it is usually in reference to addiction. Still, I believe I understand what you are getting at. Redemption can be a tough road to travel on, and there is always a temptation to go off of it when things get tough,” Celestia replied, her eyes drifting towards the gardens below and an empty spot in the line of statues.

“Are we talking about Trixie or Discord now?” Luna said, her brow furrowing just a little. She didn’t like the idea of comparing the magician to that….draconequus, but she hated to admit that how they felt about Discord’s recent ‘reformation’ was in many ways similar to her worries about Trixie’s future. Sure, they seemed to be sincerely trying to make up for what they had done, but would it stick? Between the two, Luna would bet the royal fortune that Trixie would most likely be okay. Still, there was still enough of a sense of anger and frustration to worry her about what the mare may do in the future.

“Why can I not be referring to both?” Celestia said, a small little grin appearing that Luna only saw when Celestia believed herself to be particularly mysterious, “In any case, the question is what is it that you wish to do about this concern of yours?”

“I will be discussing some options with her tonight,” Luna replied, with it now being her turn to give that small, mysterious grin to her sister.

It had been several days since Trixie had received the invitation for dinner from Princess Luna. She had been kind of suspicious at first, what with the letter simply having appeared from nowhere, but upon sending a reply and receiving one in turn with a settled date, her suspicion had turned into glee. That glee had translated into her practically prancing up to the gates of the castle, her wagon currently kept safe in the stables the city provided for all travelers who had wagons and carriages with them.

For such a special occasion as this, of course, Trixie had made sure to appear in her finest attire. That meant, for the most part, simply making sure to have washed her star-studded cape and hat and polish the gemstone on its clasp. But, to class it up just a little bit, she had splurged and bought herself a small set of crescent-moon earrings. They seemed appropriate enough, what with both her own cutie mark and of the guest she was about to meet.

Still, even with all the preparation and ecstatic glee coursing through her body, Trixie couldn’t help but feel some nervousness causing her legs to quiver a little bit with every step. It was, after all, a meeting with a Princess. Even if it was technically her second meeting with her, it was the first one in which they were meeting in the flesh. That, and it was going to be a private dinner between them. Trixie’s mind was racing with the various possibilities that could come from such a thing! A chance to be invited to the Grand Galloping Gala maybe? No, even better, maybe a chance to be booked as entertainment for it! Everypony knew that the event needed a little livelier entertainment to keep the guest from dying of boredom. All she needed to do was make sure to make a good impression on Luna, establish a bit of rapport, and who knew where her life could go!

So of course, her mind began to wonder what would happen if things went wrong. Having the displeasure of a princess was never a good thing. Sure, she probably wouldn’t be banished, but if word got out her career would be ruined! Well, more ruined than it was now at least.

Trixie shook her head, clearing her mind of all these thoughts. It was just an apology dinner after all. There was no need to get worked up in either direction.

“Just go in there, enjoy yourself, and everything will be okay,” she mumbled to herself as she approached the gates, guarded by two white stallion pegasi in golden armor. Taking a deep breath to restore her confidence, she strutted up to them.

“Excuse me, but I, the Great and Powerful Trixie, am here for my private meeting with Princess Luna.”

“That would be my responsibility Miss Trixie,” a third voice said.

Both Trixie and the guards looked upwards as the sounds of flapping wings could be heard. A grey-colored mare in dark blue armor was coming towards them. What surprised Trixie, however, was that the wings were not that of a pegasi but of a bat! Trixie simply watched as she landed in front of her, taking a moment to register the scene before realizing that the new arrival had extended a hoof to her.

“Haven’t seen many bat ponies, have yah Miss Trixie?”

“Well, I mean, I’ve heard about them but haven’t really met any personally,” Trixie said, embarrassed by her shock but unable to stop staring at the fangs and that were so vividly shown off by the mare’s grinning.

“Meh, don’t worry about it. Unless you’re at one of the colonies or in trouble with the Night Guard, most ponies rarely ever run into one. Name’s Star Breaker by the way. I’m supposed to be your escort. Luna’s waiting for you on her private balcony. Just follow me”

Trixie blinked as the three guards exchanged salutes before following after the bat pony. She had known that the dinner had planned on being private, but to be invited to the private rooms of the Princess? Hmph, Luna needed to mess up her dreams more often.

As they walked, Trixie looked over her new companion. She was rather well built, quite fit. No surprise since she was a guard of course. Her coat was a dark gray, almost like an actual bat when you added in the leathery wings by her side. The mane was rather interesting, a dark, violet color with brighter streaks of red in them. And those fangs! Even now Trixie could imagine them. Did…did bat ponies eat meat? There really couldn’t be any other reason for a creature to have such sharp teeth…

As almost as if she recognized she was being stared at, Breaker suddenly turned around to stare at Trixie with her dark green eyes.

“Hey, I know what you’re thinking,” Star Breaker said, causing Trixie to nervously return a smile, a slight bead of sweat dripping on the side of her face.

“A-and what would that be?’

“It’s okay, everypony asks about it, and yes, the red streaks are a mane dye,” Breaker said before breaking out into a laugh. Tension broke and Trixie joined in.

“Oh, and yeah, bat ponies are capable of eating meat, but we usually just keep it to eating various bugs and insects. We’re still ponies after all, just with sharper teeth and some sweet night vision abilities,” she added. Trixie could hear the additional laughter being aimed at her as her own face began to be redden.

“Like I said, don’t worry about it. Lots of ponies are curious about my kind. But enough about that, I’m curious about you. What got you a special private dinner with Princess Luna? You’re not gonna be some kind of consort or something are you?”

Trixie shook her head with a bit of an embarrassed laugh.

“No, it’s nothing like that. She simply invited me to a dinner to apologize for messing up a dream I was having.

Star Breaker stopped right in her tracks, turning around to face Trixie with a raised eyebrow and a look of disbelief.

“Wait, the princess messed up a dream?”

Trixie nodded.

“Wow, I don’t think I’ve ever heard of such a thing happening,” Star Breaker said, blinking a little in what looked to Trixie like a foal trying to comprehend some absurdly difficult math problem. It seemed that the idea that the princess could mess up a dreamwalk was one that was hard to comprehend. Apparently it didn’t phase the bat pony very long however as she quickly shrugged.

“I’m gonna guess whatever happened it’s kind of personal, right?”

Trixie nodded her head.

“Yeah, it kind of is.”

“Say no more then. What happens in the dream world stays in the dream world.”

With that the two continued their walk through the tapestry-coated halls of the castle. While Trixie was not completely a stranger to the castle’s insides, having once walked through it quite commonly when she was a foal many, many years ago, it had been so long that she was once again enamored by the sight of it. At least, that was until they passed by a portrait of Twilight Sparkle in her regalia from her coronation ceremony. The sight brought back many uncomfortable feelings that Trixie had been trying to squash for some time. When adding in the context of why this meeting with Luna was occurring, well, it wasn’t exactly a welcomed sight.

“Pretty nice picture isn’t it? Just got it put up recently. Discord had been messing with it, adding bunny ears and mustaches and all sorts of things. Honestly, I thought they were improvements, but official portraits are supposed to have some level of professionalism. They finally got it taken care of after adding a couple of protective enchantments.”

“Yeah, it’s a real nice piece of work,” Trixie said, huffing a bit as she walked away from the picture and in front of Star Breaker. She could sense that the guard mare wanted to say something, but nothing ever came. Instead, they simply continued on their way until at last they arrived at a large, dark blue door with silver highlights and crescent moon handles.

“Well, this is it, Luna’s personal chambers. Just walk straight in and you’ll reach the balcony. Twas a pleasure to meet you Trixie,” Breaker said as she opened the doors before offering a hoof out for another hoofshake.

“Pleasure to meet you too Star Breaker,” Trixie said, not exactly looking at Breaker as her eyes gazed upon the majestic bedroom of the princess. She was still aware of the guard’s presence to at least return the hoofshake as she walked inside.

The door shut behind her with a thud, and it with it the room was dark enough to reveal the true beauty of the moon princess’s bedroom. The ceiling was studded with twinkling lights and barely noticeable blue lines that connected them, forming a map of the cosmos and constellations. Dominating the center of the bedroom was a massive bed, the sides of which were shaped like crescent moons. Trixie couldn’t help but notice that the curtains of said bed shared an eerie similarity with her cape, sharing a similar color and star-studded design. Of course, in her opinion she wore it better. The floor was carpeted with a giant, dark blue rug with swirls of dark burgundy, in perfect match with the curtains on the windows that circled the room.

It was beautiful, to say the least, and Trixie found herself quite wanting to spend a night or two in it. That bed was definitely more comfortable looking than any five-star hotel, let alone her cot in the wagon.

“I take it that the room is to your liking Miss Trixie.”

Trixie was broken from her awestruck stupor by the familiar voice of the princess, who was waiting by the double doors that opened to an outdoor balcony. Not wanting to keep the princess waiting much longer, Trixie ran towards her.

“Oh, yes, it looks absolutely gorgeous your majesty. I have to say, if I had a room I think I would decorate it just like this.” Trixie said before dipping into a bow. When she heard the princess let out a small laugh, however, she had to turn her head up with a raised eyebrow.

“Dear Trixie, there is no need for you to bow to me. In fact, tis I who should be bowing my head to you in order to beg your apologies for the trauma I may have inflicted on you in your dreams by exposing you to the Ursa.”

“No, no, there’s no real need to worry about that,” Trixie said, swiftly flailing a hoof around in a dismissive manner, “Inviting me here for dinner is more than enough to make up for that”

Luna, however, shook her head.

“Nonsense. I was aware of what had happened the last time you had faced an Ursa Minor. I had hoped to use the safety of a dream to give you a chance to face your fears, but doing so without your permission was reckless of me.”

“Well, uhm, thank you for the apology then your majesty,” Trixie replied.

With glee, Trixie watched as a small smile grew on the princess’s face, though she was slightly confused as to why she sounded like she had also breathed a sigh of relief. Was the princess just as nervous about this dinner as she was? No, that couldn’t be: why would a princess by nervous about meeting some random, travelling magician like herself? In any case, she had put the princess in a good mood. Hopefully that would continue through the rest of the dinner.

“I am glad to have your forgiveness Trixie. Come, please sit with me. The servants will arrive with our dinner momentarily. In the meantime, would you like some coffee?”

Now the princess was serving her coffee?! Trixie was almost tempted to ask Luna if this was yet another dream she was going through, but if it was, well, Trixie didn’t exactly want to end it just yet. Instead, she simply trotted over to one of the cushions and made herself comfortable as Luna poured the two of them coffee.

“Thank you your majesty,” Trixie said, gently adding in her sugars and creams.

“I hope your journey here was not a difficult one?”

Trixie shrugged her shoulders.

“Not really. Mountains are a bit of a pain to go uphill on, but it’s not my first time in Canterlot by any stretch so I knew the paths pretty well. Weather was pretty good too so that always helps,” Trixie said as she begun to stir her drink.

“That is good to hear Trixie. I would not have hoped to inconvenience you.”

The two soon went quiet, with only the sounds of cups and spoons clinking with an occasional sipping sound to break it up. Trixie could feel that awkwardness of an audience that was unsure how to feel about a situation, a tension brought on when all parties involved were at a lost at how to approach a situation. It was a rare one for her, but she had felt this tense air once in a while even in her show. That and, well, small talk seemed rather petty when the one you were talking to was a ruler of an entire part of the time cycle, didn’t it?

If Trixie thought Luna’s silence was because she believed small talk to be petty, she was quite mistaken. For Luna, an intimate situation such as this was unheard of between ruler and subject in her day. There had always been a level of separation between ruler and subject, filled with ceremony and prompt to ensure the proper hierarchy of relations. So she was not exactly sure what the appropriate discussion to have in such casual settings. In other words, she didn’t exactly know how to do small talk. When she considered her longer goal for this evening, however, she soon came to an idea, one that Trixie would no doubt approve of. Based on all she knew about the showmare, there was one topic she loved above all others: herself.

“So Trixie, if I may ask, what do you mean when you say this is not your first time in Canterlot? Have you performed in the city before?”

Such a simple question, yet Luna was stunned when Trixie stopped swirling her drink, the widening of her eyes before looking away suggesting something about the question was bothering her.

“Oh, uh, well, the thing is I’m actually from Canterlot,” Trixie said, remaking eye contact.

“Really now? Well, then I guess this is simply a return home for you. Do you plan on visiting your family at some point then?”

Once again, she had expected a simple question and answer but was instead greeted with Trixie yet again nervously looking away. Luna never recalled Trixie or Twilight ever mentioning that Trixie was from Canterlot, and something about Trixie’s current behavior suggested that such information might not have been something Trixie gave out lightly. So before Trixie said anything, Luna responded.

“If that was too personal a question, I apologize.”

This seemed to make Trixie rather relieved, and Luna made a note to save the topic for another time. There was, however, something else that she wanted answered first.

“However, there is something I do wish you too tell me about that may be a little uncomfortable for you to discuss. Please, bare with it as I truly do wish to know about your feelings.”

“O-okay then?” Trixie said, her head tilting a bit in confusion.

“If you would, please, tell me about the Ursa and Alicorn Amulet incidents.”

Trixie's View

“If you would, please, tell me about the Ursa and Alicorn Amulet incidents.”

Unfortunately for Trixie, as Luna asked her question, she had been mid-sip of her coffee. The frightened gulp at having to describe those rather dramatic incidents of her life caused her drink to go where it wasn’t supposed to. Her throat and lungs burned as the liquid went down, sending her into a coughing fit as her body tried to expel the invading drink.

“Trixie dear, are you alright?!”

Trixie heard the worry in Luna’s voice, and the jostling as the princess stood up, but all she could do in response was put up a forehoof to command her to stop. After about a couple more seconds she could catch her breath enough to say something.

“I-I’m, I’m okay,” Trixie said as she coughed a few more times before clearing her throat.

“It was not my intention to have distressed you so my dear,” Luna said, reaching out to Trixie with a comforting hoof.

“Yeah, well, you did kind of start off with asking about two of the worst moments of my entire life,” Trixie replied, her face marked with the half-lidded eyes of irritation. A second later, however, her eyes shot open, and she felt a blush quickly forming.

“Er, not that such a thing is wrong, princess. You’re free to ask me about anything you wish after all. Heh heh,” she added, a nervous chuckle hoping to cover her embarrassment.

She really had to go and sass a princess, didn’t she? Now she was going to get all mad and upset, probably cancel the dinner and….

“My apologies, Trixie. I should have approached the issue with more tact.”

“Huh?” Trixie replied.

Wait, she wasn’t mad?

“Though I have heard about the incidents from Twilight Sparkle…”

Oh of course she had to be involved in this somehow. Trixie didn’t even want to think about how Twilight portrayed her in them. Sure, they had sort of left on good terms, but that didn’t mean Twilight was going to give a glowing review of her to the princess after all she did, right?

“In order to truly understand the situation, I wish to hear the events from your own mouth. If the issue is truly so personal, though, then you do need to feel as if you have to…”

“No, no, it’s my fault for snapping at you,” Trixie said, shrugging her shoulders with a sigh,”It’s just…normally when somepony brings those incidents up it’s not exactly for the greatest of reasons.”

“I presumed as much from your dreams.”

“Yeah….” Trixie said, gently tugging at her cape in her hooves as a sort of comforting motion, “But, if you really want to hear about it, I guess I don’t mind.”

The small, little smile on Luna’s face when she said that was of great comfort to Trixie.

“Yes, I would very much appreciate it.”

Taking a deep breath, the showmare began.

“Well, I guess I’ll start with the Ursa incident…”

“But before you do, how about something to fill up your bellies?”

Trixie turned to watch, and instantly felt a little drool drip from her mouth as the largest smorgasbord of food she had ever seen was being carted towards her. Apples, grapes, oranges, watermelon…some other kind of fruits she didn’t know about but who cared because they looked delicious! That didn’t even start to get into the vegetables, breads, and cheeses that were also on the tray.

“Why thank you Miss Soufflé. It looks absolutely delicious…and I think our guest thinks so too.”

Snapped out of her hunger induced stupor, Trixie wiped the drool from her mouth as she heard the princess and who she assumed was the chef give a little laugh.

“Sorry, it’s just I’ve been living off oatmeal bars and water for the last few weeks so just…wow.”

“Don’t be afraid to dig in then,” Souffle said, throwing some grapes, cheese, and bread on a plate and placing it in front of Trixie, “Because that sounds like a terrible diet, and no one is going to leave this castle feeling hungry.”

As Trixie began to happily indulge in the practical banquet in front of her, she watched as their drinks were refilled. Once the chef was dismissed, and she had swallowed the half a chunk of cheese she had stuffed in her mouth, she turned her attention back to the topic at hoof.

“A-anyway, should I get started then?”

Luna gave a simple nod. Figuring a little graphical representations would help, Trixie dug back into her memories of the whole thing as well as a spell she had picked up during her time under the Alicorn Amulet’s influence. Even if she couldn’t do the most powerful spells like she had been, summoning up a little magical reflection of her memories in the pinkish-aura of magic was doable enough. Glancing at Luna, she felt a little warm feeling of pride bubble up at the alicorn’s look of surprise. At least she was able to impress her with something.

“It all started in Ponyville, where I was doing a show. I was being magnificent of course, doing some of my usual tricks and stuff, when I bragged about having defeated an Ursa Major. Suddenly, I started to hear some under the breath heckling from the audience.”

The magic screen showed Trixie on stage, performing some tricks before focusing on an orange pony with straw-like hair, a hard to not notice rainbow-mane pony, and a rather elegantly white coated pony with twirly, purple hair. Or, as Trixie found out during the whole Alicorn Amulet incident, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity.

“Since I don’t exactly appreciate being heckled, I decided to throw a challenge out to the audience in hopes of luring them out. To no surprise, the hecklers took the bait, and I proceeded to best them at their own games,”

As the screen showed her hog-tying Applejack, spinning Rainbow Dash like a top, and turning Rarity’s hair into a complete and utter mess, Trixie glanced at Luna. The princess did not look so pleased at it, watching with a rather neutral expression that worried Trixie. After all, for a showmare, having no reaction at all was worse than no reaction whatsoever. Hopefully this was simply royal stoicism in action.

“I, uh, kind of admit I might have gone a bit overboard with it,” she replied, giving a sheepish grin, “But it was my show and I felt like I had to punish them for interrupting me like that.”

The princess raised an eyebrow, but otherwise she simply sipped at her tea quietly. Not being a fan of awkward pauses, Trixie pushed on.

“But, well, it seems there was a couple foals that were inspired by my show. They kept bugging me, asking if they could do anything for me. Of course I like to indulge my fans, so I let them do some errands for me.”

She showed an image of a tall, lanky orange foal and a stubby, rather round foal with a greenish-blue coat giving her a hayshake as she brushed her mane.

“Those would be the Snips and Snails that Twilight informed me about, is it not?” Luna asked.

Trixie nodded.

“Yep, and that was the last I saw of them till later that night when they banged on my door. I tried to figure out what it was they wanted when, well…”

Not wanting to see this part, Trixie looked away. On the screen showed the image of her running from her house as the Ursa stomped on it, destroying absolutely everything she knew.

“Apparently, they had brought the Ursa for me to battle. How was I supposed to know they believed my act!” Trixie said, throwing her forelegs up in exasperation, “But anyway, since it was now life or death I attempted to valiantly fight the Ursa…and got my plot handed to me. It was after that when Twilight showed up and saved the day.”

The screen showed Trixie’s failed attempts to subdue the Ursa, and then Twilight Sparkle’s arrival and putting the giant star bear to sleep. Seeing as this was the most important part, Trixie just let her memory of her running away play on as she kept on talking.

“ But you know what? All everypony talks about is how I ‘ran away’ or ‘cried like a little baby’, bu that’s not even close to what happened! Sure, if Twilight hadn’t showed up I’d probably be Ursa food right now, but I at least tried to take it down myself!” Trixie said, slamming her legs on the table, teeth grinding just a little bit as her memories shifted to her wagons being vandalized and ponies mocking her.

“All my work, all I had, gone, and no one even cares that it wasn’t my fault in the first place. No, all they care about is that Twilight saved the day and that ‘The Great and Powerful Trixie’ got taken down a notch.”

Her breathing turned into an angry snort, but one look at the now rather wide-eyed Luna brought Trixie back to the reality of her situation. Here she was practically yelling at the princess in rage. If she was trying to show she had moved on, well, she was doing an awful job wasn’t she? Sheepishly, she sunk back into her cushion.

“I-I’m sorry. It’s just…I guess it still bothers me more than I thought it did,” Trixie said, sniffing just a little to try and hold back some of the tears she could feel forming at the corner of her mouth.

“There is no need to apologize Trixie,” Luna said as she placed down her cup, simply looking at her with a serene smile, “It was my hope to get your side of the story, emotions included. For the record, I would like to commend you for attempting to battle the Ursa despite knowing your chances of victory were slim. It shows a greater sense of responsibility than these other ponies are apparently giving you credit for.”

“Thank you,” Trixie said, giving a deep breath to try and calm herself down. Even if Luna was simply trying to be nice, it still felt nice to have a pony thank her for at least trying to deal with the Ursa.

“What I am interested in, then, is how did you come to possess the Alicorn Amulet? Such rare and dangerous artifacts should not have been available to you.”

The screen shifted to a small back alley in Canterlot, the dark and rainy atmosphere providing a nice setting for the scene as it showed a cloaked Trixie running into an antique shop of some sorts.

“Well, during a trip to Canterlot I had wandered into this shop. I was just browsing around when I saw it. I didn’t know what it was at the time, but when I asked the shopkeeper about it he told me the story of this amulet that had ‘great but dangerous power’. I figured, of course, it was probably all exaggerations cause that’s how stories went. All I knew is that this amulet supposedly offered power, and that I wanted it.”

A grim look flashed across Luna’s face.

“I must make note to send somepony to investigate this shopkeeper….”

Trixie gave a nervous laugh.

“To be fair, he originally didn’t want to sell me. I had to get a seriously large amount of gold to get him to give in.”

The screen briefly showed Trixie sweating over a rock, a pickaxe hammering away at it.

“Let me tell you, rock farming is not the most lucrative of careers. And honestly, it didn’t help my mindset either. The family I was with weren’t the greatest talkers, and when you’re left out in the fields all day to stew in your own thoughts bad things just get worse.”

“I know the feeling well, Trixie,” Luna said, giving her coffee cup a rather solemn look. Trixie felt like there was something else trying to be said, but her mind couldn’t quite make the connection.

“Anyway, all I could think about was how the Ursa incident went, how Twilight had gotten all the spotlight and attention and love and all I got for it was being mocked. I just…I just had to beat her, you know? That was what I had always done when I got heckled. Bring the offending pony up, and just humiliate them. So of course I had to do the same to her. But then the newspapers came, and I heard story after story about what she had done. Discord, the wedding, saving the Crystal Empire. I knew was going to battle her, I needed to get stronger, and that was what the Amulet was going to do for me.”

Trixie shifted the screen to show an image of her plopping down the giant bag of gold coins on the shop counter, and then proceeding to put on the amulet. She then showed her magic duel with Twilight.

“And the amazing thing to me was, it worked! I had beaten her and got to kick her out of her town like how I had gotten chased out. It was the best revenge I could get!”

With that, Trixie blinked off the screen, her horn no longer glowing as she looked down at her own cup.

“But, after that, my memories start becoming a blur. I mean,I know what horrible things I did in that town, but it didn’t exactly feel like me, you know? Afterwards I found out about how that amulet corrupts the mind and all that, so I’m guessing that’s what keeps me from really getting a grasp on what I did during that time. But, well, I know that really doesn’t excuse it. I mean, I did go after it in the first place, and the feelings that inspired me to go after it weren’t exactly great either….”

There, she done it. She told her story to the princess, or at least her perspective of it. How she had purposefully gone out to get a dangerous artifact in order to torture and be cruel towards a pony who had honestly done no real harm to her simply to enact some petty revenge. How Luna reacted was up to her, but Trixie honestly had low expectations on how this was to turn out. She had been better than most ponies by now, but after seeing all that, all Trixie hoped was she would let them would finish this meal in silence and then never speak to each other again.

So when Trixie found herself being draped with the dark blue wing of the princess, she was more than a little shocked. Just as shocking was she couldn’t help but sink into it with a snuggle, enjoying the warmth of the princess’s body. Something about being in her embrace just felt safe and comfortable, especially after finding herself so emotionally drained.

“What you did was wrong Trixie, but I can tell that you are indeed sincere in your regret,” she heard Luna say, “But there is one thing that I would like to know before we move on to more pleasant topics. After all that has happened, you still desire to be a showmare? Why is that? Would it not simply be easier to try a different career?”

As comfortable as Luna’s embrace was, Trixie had to gently push her back. Taking a deep breath, and wiping away a stray tear or two from her face, she straightened her back up and looked Luna dead in the eye with a smile.

“Because if I did that, I wouldn’t be The Great and Powerful Trixie, would I? I love the stage, the feel of having an audience watching you and being amazed as you perform feats beyond their imagination. I know I haven’t exactly been the greatest pony in the world, but if I let all this stop me, then I don’t deserve the title ‘Great and Powerful’.”

Her little moment of strength seemed to have the effect she wanted as Luna responded to it with a smile…though the little laugh she gave was a bit unintended.

“My, you are quite the mare, Great and Powerful Trixie.”

“I’ve been told that from time to time,” she replied, enjoying the levity of the moment as she gave a bit of a smarmy grin.

“Yes, I would presume so. There is much in you that reminds me of my younger self, dear Trixie, and I truly believe that with some care and guidance great things may be possible. Which is why, if you would do me the honor, I would like you to take a sabbatical from your travels in order to come to the castle as my student.”

Trixie gave a laugh, “Oh, Princess Luna, I would be….”

Wait, what did she just say? Trixie paused mid-bashful turn away, a standard reaction to compliments in order to at least appear somewhat humble, to contemplate what Luna had just said to her. Her head whipped back, staring at Luna with wide eyes.

“Wait, did you just say your student? Like, I’d be working for you and you’d be my mentor? That kind of student?”

Trixie watched as Luna nodded, a devilish little smile appearing as she tilted her head in a manner that Trixie could only interpret as being teasing.

“Yes, that is exactly what I said my dear Trixie. I take it that such an offer is not inappropriate, is it?”

The showmare’s heart was beating a mile a minute as she frantically waved her forelegs.

“N-no, of course not. It’s an absolutely wonderful offer that I would love to take. It’s just so unexpected and…”

“Do you not believe yourself to be worthy of such an honor, Trixie?”

The alicorn’s laughter caused Trixie to blush, realizing she had been caught in a trap of sorts. If she said no, that would be questioning Luna’s judgement, which was bad. If she said yes, well, that was kind of egotistical, and as much as Trixie wished to say yes she knew showing an ego at this moment would be quite bad.

“Uh, well, I mean, if you feel like I am worthy of such a thing then I guess I am?” Trixie said, hoping it would satisfy the still laughing princess.

“Such a diplomatic response. Seems we may have to skip a few lessons in politics, my dear student.”

Trixie joined in the laugh, blushing just a little at being caught dumbfounded in this situation. Still, embarrassment couldn’t stop her from grinning. She was going to be the apprentice to Princess Luna. Never in all her life had she thought such a thing possible. Granted, for most of her life Princess Luna didn’t exist, but still, she had never thought becoming a princess’s student was in her future.

“Now then, let us see if we can persuade the royal sommelier if she would be willing to part with some quality wine to celebrate this occasion.

“If she’s part of the staff, why would she not give it up? I mean, you are the princess after all.”

Luna laughed.

“You would think that the case, but it seems that Miss Acescence is quite protective of ‘her’ wine as she calls it, and rarely allows it to be drunk at the inappropriate time. Even my sister has to occasionally beg to simply eat dinner without being lectured on what is the ‘correct’ food to be eating with the wine she orders.”

As the two mare’s continued to enjoy their meal in merriment, and eventually convincing Acescence to part with a particularly high quality vintage of wine, they were unaware of a third guest to their little dinner. For sitting on the roof above the balcony, having been surprisingly quiet this evening, was a grayish-brown bird with yellow-red eyes and a little goatee. Upon hearing the offer of apprenticeship being extended to the silver-maned mare, Discord had to give a bit of a laugh

“My, my, my, seems Luna has finally decided to make this castle a little more interesting….”

Friend Like Me

“And if you turn to the right, you’ll see the door to your brand new quarters Miss Trixie,” Star Breaker said, flying ahead just enough to turn around and motion towards a wooden door with what appeared to be Trixie’s cutie mark embossed on it , “Thank you for choosing Star Breaker Tours for your Canterlot Castle tourist needs.”

With the excitement at her new-founded status as an apprentice to a princess, Trixie was in a mood that was giddy enough that even such a simple joke as that got a giggle out of her.

“And a lovely tour it was Star Breaker. I will be sure to give a glowing review to your manager.”

The small grin on Star Breaker’s face signaled that the response was well received as the bat pony Night Guard landed on the ground and gently took a hold of the doorknob.

“Though Trixie’s just fine if you don’t mind. Can I ask why my cutie mark’s on the door already?” Trixie added, a little surprised it had been added to the door so quickly since she had said yes to the offer not even half an hour ago.

Star Breaker gave a slight grin.

“The Princess felt preeeettttty confident you were gonna say yes to her offer so she might have already prepped up the room a little. It’s a little fancy for my tastes, but I’ll let you be the judge,” she said, gently pulling the door open for Trixie to enter.

“Well I normally live in a wagon most of the year so I’m pretty sure anything is gonna feel fancy after….that” she said, pausing a bit as her hooves hit what felt like carpet.

She looked down at the dark, swirling pattern that reminded her of some artist pony’s painting of the night sky. Van Goh, she believed. Trixie’s eyes quickly looked up from the carpet and slowly moved their away across the room, which from her perspective might as well have been an elite suite at one of Canterlot’s best hotels.

To the right of her was a large, round bed flanked with a dresser on side and a night stand on the other. The sheets were a mixture of blues and purples, the cover decorated with stars so as to suggest a night scene. If she had to guess, probably not quite as large as a princess size bed, but definitely bigger than the ‘technically qualified to be a twin’ bed in her wagon. Even from the doorway she could take a guess at how soft it was – though again anything was probably softer than the almost board-like bed she had now - and she felt a strong urge to simply jump on it right then and there to test it.

She was less enthused to try out, however, what looked to be a small study area, with bookshelves and a desk already decked out with books, inkwells and patching quills, and parchment paper. Of course she realized that was also part of being an apprentice, but she had wanted to let the thoughts of some slight pampering from living in the castle be front and center a little longer. At least the fact that the room also had a small couch and fireplace on the back wall, flanked by two glass-stained windows with curtains that matched the rest of the room’s night theme, meant she could meant she could be nice and cozy when she was reading.

“Yeah, pretty sweet huh? Hey, if you ever have a nightmare or something and need a guard to keep you company make sure to ask for me. Wouldn’t mind getting some z’s on that bed,” Star Breaker said, gently giving Trixie a slight ribbing.

“Wait, but I thought bat ponies hung from rafters?” Trixie replied, a slight arch of confusion appearing on her eyebrow.

“Er, well, some of the more traditional bat ponies like to do that, particularly ones from the colonies. But I was kind of born and raised in Cloudsdale so I would much rather have a soft, billowing cloud than a wooden rafter. And since I got chewed out about the threat of mold last time I tried to sneak in a cloud bed for my barracks, that type of bed is probably the best I’m gonna get.”

“Oh, uhm….I guess you can go jump on it while I check the rest of the place then?” Trixie said, her face flushed slightly in embarrassment for the comment she had just made. Star Breaker, however, simply shook her head.

“Nah, sorry, gotta get back on patrol. But enjoy the room. Bathrooms through that door over there,” she said as she pointed to a door a little ways down the wall from the bed that Trixie had missed in her awe at the rest of the room, “And I think they even threw in some bathrobes and slippers if you want. Have a good night Trixie.”

With that Star Breaker left, shutting the door behind her as Trixie simply stood still soaking it all in. And then everything that had been bottling up broke out as she lunged towards the bed, quickly rolling in it like she was a little filly as she splayed her fore hooves out in a little cheer.

“I’M PRINCESS LUNA’S APPRENTICE!” she said, not quite tiring of getting to hear that phrase, repeating it several more times as she snuggled into the bed, eyes closed as she thought about what had just occurred to her.

She could just imagine it now, hanging out with the princess, learning new magic far beyond what she could have gotten at the Academy. Guards would respect her instead of seeing her as a slight nuisance because of her crowds. Oh, the crowds! The crowds would love her when she was done! “The Great and Powerful Trixie, Apprentice to the Princess Tour!” Eh, she’d work on the title later. Then again, who would care about the title when they could see a princess’s apprentice!

“Sounds like someone’s really excited about her new job.”

Trixie stopped wriggling about, eyes opening and darting around before noticing the star-struck pattern of her bedding had been replaced with grey coloring and a pair of yellow eyes with red irises.

“Hi,” the bed said.

“AAAAAAGH!?” Trixie said, quickly rolling off the bed and onto the floor, stumbling a bit in the process so that as she stood it was more from a position of splattering on the ground than an awesome dodge roll. Her horn was sparking with fireworks, ready to attack her new bed.

“Oh come on now, put away the sparklers. The bed’s fire retardant anyway….though guess someone with enough ingenuity could get around that” the bed replied, sounding as if it was seriously considering the possibility of setting itself on fire.

The sparkles diminished as Trixie’s neck craned upward, the grey colors of the bed pulling outwards and forming into a long, serpentine like body but instead of a serpent was instead made up of a practical zoo’s worth of animal parts. In seconds her excitement and adrenaline from the scare had quickly turned into hesitation and fear as she quickly realized who this intruder to her new room was.

“Y-you’re Discord, aren’t you.”

The amalgamation of creatures began to clap in that slow, deliberativeness that Trixie was quite familiar with as a sign of sarcasm.

“Oh you are a bright one, aren’t you ‘The Great and Powerful Trixie’. Or is it “Princess Luna Apprentice Trixie now. Oooh, oooh, maybe you should try “The Great and Powerful Apprentice to the Princess, Trixie! No, no, way too long, don’t you think?”

“What are you doing in my room!?” Trixie snapped, causing Discord to simply respond with a laugh.

“I knew I was going to like you the moment you walked in. You even got the same temper as Twilight Sparkle.”

Really, did he have to compare her to Twilight? Although at least in this case she’d take it as a compliment, agreeing with Twilight that a bit of a temper was the appropriate way to deal with this creature before her. Before she say anything though Discord disappeared, his absence short lived however as he quickly reappeared beside her and drew her towards him with a one-armed hug.

“But the thing is, I think I might like you even more than Twilight Sparkle.”

Trixie simply levitated his arm off of her, continuing to glare at him defensively as she backed away from.

“Oh I know what you’re thinking ‘Geeh Discord, why would you like me more than a pony as wonderful and famous as Princess Twilight?” he said, a highness to his pitch that made her think he was giving a mocking impression of her.

“I wasn’t thinking that at all” she deadpanned.

“Well I’ll tell you Trixie, it’s because we’re kindred spirits you and I” he said, gently tapping her on the muzzle, which she quickly rubbed as if she was trying to get rid of some nasty bug.

“And what makes you think that? It’s not like I’ve gone and….”

Discord gave a grin.

“And tried to take over Equestria or humiliate Twilight and her friends? Well, I guess we do have that in common, but I was thinking something a little…deeper.”

Discord snapped his fingers, and suddenly a chalkboard appeared and Discord was dressed in university robes. Trixie could already feel a headache coming on as she watched him draw stick figures that she guessed was her and Twilight.

“You see, Trixie, Twilight might be a princess and all, but she’s a real stick in the mud, all logical and stuff,” he said, motioning at the Twilight stick figure that quickly began to move around, summoning book after book before suddenly her entire half of the board was filled with books.

“You, on the other hand, are creative, free, driven by emotion and your feelings. After all, illusions are all about changing the reality you don’t like in favor of one you like, no?” he said, the Trixie figure standing tall and proud as it shot off chalk fireworks all around the board. Trixie even gave a slight giggle as one of them set a book on fire, causing the Twilight chalk figure to start panicking a little to put it out. She quickly regained her composure, however, remembering she was still dealing with Discord of all creatures.

“Well, it’s not exactly like that. I mean, there’s still magic theory, spell theorems, formulas you gotta learn…”

“But at the heart of it, when you’re on that stage, you’re minds not filled with magical theorems and spell components, but the desire to show the world your amazing abilities, to have the sky itself light up with your name,” he said, having once again placed an arm around her as he waved his other hand in front of them. Trixie had to admit, she was a little enthralled as her name was written in fireworks as he spoke.

“I…guess that’s one way to put it,” she said, feeling a little bit proud of herself, “I mean, books and stuff weren’t really my thing at the Academy, but I’ve always had a knack for ‘feeling’ my magic. I mean, that sounds weird, but it really is about the best way to put it.”

“And that’s exactly why I wanted to offer you some help in your upcoming studies! Because the world needs more creative ponies like you to show them what magic can really do and not some stuffy old princess locked who literally lives in a library tree.”

“Wait, what exactly do you mean ‘help’ me with my studies?” she said, the slight relaxation she had slipped into quickly replaced with suspicion of the draconequus’s intentions. After all, not that long ago he was one of Equestria’s greatest enemies, so it felt a little weird to be getting so chummy with him.

“Well, the thing is, Luna’s taking you on as an apprentice has sort of inspired me to seek out my own little apprentice to pass on my knowledge too.”

Suddenly the room darkened, a spotlight shining on Discord as violin music began to play from somewhere.

“You see, I’m the only draconequus in Equestria. No others of my own to share in chaotic revelry, no heir to pass on my talents,” he said, his clawed hand raising to his head as if he was about to swoon. Trixie was not particularly amused at the moment, mostly looking on with a raised eyebrow of skepticism.

“I’m pretty sure there’s been ponies trying to research chaos magic so not like nopony’s been studying it.”

“Oh, yes, those poor old fools. But they study chaos magic as if they were foals, thinking that because they can turn on a stove that they can cook but in reality burn there poor little hooves,” he replied, a stove top suddenly appearing. Trixie cringed just a little as he touched it before quickly drawing his hand back, shaking it as if it was in pain.

“Okay, I think you’re kind of milking it a little.”

Discord snapped his fingers and the lights turned back on.

“Fair enough, but you get the idea. There’s not really a lot of ponies who I can teach this stuff too, but I think you got the mindset to maybe actually pull it off. After all, chaos magic is about want and desire, the willingness to reject reality and replace it with your own.”

“Yeah, thanks for the offer, but I don’t exactly think taking up any offer from you is a good idea,” she said, walking off toward the door in hopes that opening it would be enough of a signal for him to GET OUT OF HER ROOM.

As she reached for the handle, however, it jumped off and began to run away. Giving out a slight “uggggh” in annoyance, she turned to around to try and just kick the door open when she noticed the floor of her room beginning to turn into a pink and brown checkerboard pattern. A jaunty tune began to permeate the air as Discord swirled around her again, grinning quite large as he used his claw to make her look up right at him.

“Trixie, I don’t think you realize what I’m offering here! So why don’t you contemplate while I demonstrate the possibilities!”

All of a sudden Trixie found herself poofed right on to the bed, which at some point had begun to dance along a bit to the tune, as Discord reappeared in front of her.

“Well, Twilight Sparkle is an alicorn,
parading around with them fancy wings.”

Trixie watched as a little firework Twilight with wings flew around them.

“But with this skill to make reality torn
you’ll have the power to do amazing things!”

Discord snapped his fingers, the firework Twilight exploded, the remnants falling around them like confetti

“You could finally beat that nasty bear!”

The sudden appearance of an illusionary Ursa Minor rampaging towards her with a roar sent Trixie scrambling off the bed. She tried to hide underneath it, but watched as another version of herself appeared and, with a quick wave of her hoof, caused the rampaging Ursa to slip on a banana peel, sliding right out the window.

“Put on a performance that stuns the crowd!”

Suddenly Trixie could hear cheering, the illusionary version of her having taken a bow as ponies cheered and praised her for the heroic defeat of the Ursa. Trixie, by this point, found herself watching all the proceedings around her with a mix of skepticism and awe, nervously chewing her lip as she took in everything going around.

Before she got comfortable, however, she found herself being catapulted up into the air, the ceiling apparently now being irrelevant as Discord floated next to her while she flailed around a bit.

“You’ll have the razzle, dazzle, magical flair,”

With the first statement she found her outfit – having been left on the ground below – returned to her before suddenly finding herself not so much flailing as….hovering? With that last word she suddenly felt something moving on her back, a feeling she really didn’t like all that much. She was afraid of whatever it was Discord did, but the draconequus simply grinned as Trixie stared dumbstruck at a new set of wings.

“That’s sure to make Princess Luna proud! She’ll say:
Why my Trixie dear, never prouder could I be!”

Please don’t use Luna’s voice again, Trixie thought, shivering at Discord’s impression of the princess while he kept on his way.

“She’ll be impressed, so will the rest
You ain’t never had a friend like me.”

Before she state that she really wasn’t sure she wanted a friend like him, the room went dark again. When a spotlight shone in her face, the wings were gone and she was on some stage in front of a crowd of Discords. One more popped up on the stage, the real one – if that was relevant – and summoned up a tux and magicians hat for her.

“Life is your theater stage and I’m you’re attendee /
You’ll best Twilight, become Luna’s pride.
You ain’t never had a friend like me!”

A Twilight Sparkle appeared on stage with a wave, and in the manic of the music – and her ego having not so subtlety been appealed to – she shot off a quick fireworks that seemed to do the trick of making it go away. And even though she knew the little “huzzah” from Princess Luna in the audience was all fake, well, she felt a little giddy. She then quickly shook those thoughts from her head.

“Yes dear you pride yourself on magic.
Changing color, sound, and taste”

The auditorium went away, instead being replaced by a room of pure light blue like her coat, the music changing briefly tune to what sounded like mariachi music, and the sudden taste of…chili pepper? The spice was practically unbearable, so she didn’t even question it when a bucket of milk appeared, quickly dunking her head in.

Upon pulling it up she found herself by a crowd laughing at her. It was quickly pushed away by a giant broom, however, quickly joined by a bucket of water being dumped on her yet left her dry and clean.

“Forget the taunts, you true savant!
Shame such talent has gone to waste.”

“Okay Discord, I think…”

A gloved hand appeared and shushed her as Discord kept going. With a quick point of his fingers, Twilight and her friends, Snips and Snails, and the Pie family, and that cruddy wheel merchant that sold her that bad wheel appeared.

“Think of your enemies your fandom they’ll soon be.”

She just looked on as they all began to cheer, that pink one apparently having gotten t-shirts and a party cannon that shot out a bunch of balloons shaped like her.

“I’m in the mood to help you dude.
You ain’t never had a friend like me.”

Knocking away the gloved hand, she turned her attention to Discord.

“Okay, I get it Discord, you can knock off the song. Besides, I’ve tried this whole game before already and Twilight still beat me so forget it!”

Discord simply grinned.

“Can Twilight do this?”

Discord stretched out and then snapped like a rubber-band, suddenly appearing as what looked like an infant version of himself that Trixie found kind of adorable. Didn’t have the time to tell him she’d done the age spell thing though before he pointed a claw and zapped her.

“Can Twilight do that?”

A quick glance at scales, the pointy teeth in her mouth, the moving of leathery wings clarifying her sudden membership of the dragon species. Okay, she had to give him that: Twilight didn’t exactly cause species change as far as she knew.

“Can Twilight pull this?”

At some point Discord had turned himself back to normal with a magician’s hat. No hesitation, Discord dug right in and quickly pulled out… a rather confused looking Prince Blueblood?

“Out of their little hat?”

Blueblood was quickly stuffed back into the hat before he could say anything. Even Discord seemed a little confused at the arrival of the unicorn, but apparently didn’t care enough to hear him out. Not that Trixie minded: from the rumors she had heard of the guy he was a bit of a blowhard.

“Can Twilight go boom!?”

Discord exploded into pieces, with all the resulting fire and smoke. Trixie coughing as it cleared up, finding both herself and Discord back to normal.

“Well looky here?” he sang, a mirror appearing as he checked himself out with a smarmy grin, pulling Trixie up close to him to join in the mirror gazing.

“Can Twilight say Arrivederci, snap like this,
And make Luna’s man come right here?”

And indeed, with a simple snap, Discord had summoned Luna’s flowing, ethereal mane right onto Trixie’s head before it quickly poofed away, hopefully going back to Luna.

“So don’t just sit there slack-jawed, stupefied,
Give me an answer, simply yes or no?”
You can get all your wishes gratified,
Be the star of every single show!”

Discord jumped into the air on that last line, arms spread as a giant advertisement for “See the Great and Powerful Trixie only in Las Pegasus” appeared behind the two of them.

“I’ve got a powerful urge to help you out,
So what’cha say , I really wanna know?
You’ve got an ego three miles long, no doubt,”

“Hey!” she protested, but the way he said it sounded less like a taunt but almost like friendly bantering. Or maybe that was just because the cheerfulness of the music made all of this just seem so normal. Ugggggh.

“Well all you’ve gotta say is yes like sooooo, and oh-
Trixie listen dear, we’ll be the best pals you and me.”

The two of them were in a photo booth, Trixie blinking with every flash as the pictures of the two of them – Discord making plenty of funny faces – printed out.

“You’ll be the best, with no contest!”

She had a trophy, the base topped with a cast of Star Swirl the bearded, in her hooves that simply said “The Great and Powerful Trixie” with “The Best” underneath it.

The music began to crescendo into what she hoped was the finale, being thoroughly confused and awed and honestly quite lost at this point.

“You ain’t never had a friend, never had a friend,” Discord sang, zapping the books on the bookshelf alive as they all danced around Trixie’s bed, which was now placed in the center of the room with them on it.

“You ain’t never had a friend, never had a friend” he sang again, this time zapping up clones of himself in a variety of outfits, from a magicians outfit to golfer, skier, bathrobe and book, and all sorts of things she guessed were ‘things we’ll do together’ messages.

She then found herself grabbed by Discord who wrapped her in a one armed hug as her bed began to rise, pretty much the entire room’s furniture and Discord dancing along.

“You ain’t never…”

More ponies and furniture dancing and cheering for them.

“Had a…”

Pegasi ponies flying with banners saying “Great and Powerful Trixie!”

“Friend…”

Unicorn ponies shooting off fireworks.

“Liiiiiike meeeeeee!”

There wasn’t anything else, simply the sheer chaos of the situation rising and rising until…

Boom.

Nothing. Just her on her bed, the rest of the room normal, and Discord front of her.

“You ain’t never had a friend like me,”

And with a wink and a smile, the draconeequs was gone.

Trixie simply sat in the now silent, still room, afraid to step off the bed in fear of somehow losing her grounding and finding herself in another musical number. The sudden knocking of the door, however, forced her attention to the reality around. She levitated it open to find Star Breaker on the other side.

“Hey, you’ve seen Discord anywhere? Luna’s mane went missing for a moment and we’re pretty sure he’s behind it.”

“Uhhh, no, don’t think so,” Trixie said, the whole experience having been surreal enough that denial seemed the easier thing to do at the moment.

“Well alright, but if you do see him be careful. He likes to pull pranks on everyone. Good night again Trixie.”

Star Breaker simply waved, and Trixie waved back, closing the door with her magic.

After taking a moment to get her bearings she gently slipped off the bed and walked towards the bathroom. She really needed a splash of cold water on her face to just shock her out of her stupor. Till then, she really couldn’t appreciate the shiny, navy blue tiles or the large, clawed bathtub that would be perfect for soaking in. Nope, she simply headed for the sink, turned on the water, and splashed her face with it till she felt thoroughly soaked. Levitating over a towel, she dried her face off, only to find upon opening her eyes that in the sink was a golden colored apple and a note taped to the bathroom mirror.

I know taking up my offer can be a pretty big deal, so I made it easy for yah. Whenever you feel ready to take a walk on the chaotic side, just enjoy this healthy and nutritious snack and all the fun will be yours.

Ta ta for now.

Love, Discord.

Trixie simply glared at the apple, using it to focus all her annoyance at Discord and his stupid musical number. What kind of fool did he take her for? She had tried that whole “use ancient artifacts to gain power” route before, and all it did was get her brainwashed and ruling an entire town as a dictator. As if she’d really take up Discord on some silly offer to get ‘chaos magic’.

Still, it was nice that at least someone other kind of understood how she felt when she did her magic. For all the fluff, she did agree that at least they shared the whole “magic through will” thing or whatever you wanted to call it. What was that roleplayer class again, the one that ran off “Charisma” instead of intelligence? Meh, whatever, not like it was that important, but that was probably at least one way to describe it.

But some sympathy in regards to spell casting style didn’t mean she was gonna eat some stupid apple, no matter how much Discord promised it would mean she’d get to one up Twilight and be able to impress Princess Luna. She’d be able to do that on her own, thank you very much: after all, that’s why Luna had taken her as an apprentice, right? She recognized that for all of Trixie’s mistakes there was real potential that simply hadn’t been given the chance yet.

Feeling much better about herself, she simply grabbed the apple with a levitation spell and tossed it into the bottom of her drawer. She was tempted to throw it out the window, but right now Discord would probably just keep making it pop up in front of her or something. No, better to let it sit in the drawer where she could theoretically access it, that way Discord thought she might take him up on the offer and he’d lay off of her. He’d get bored of her eventually, right?

For now, however, outsmarting beings of chaos was a secondary objective. Her first was to finally try out the totally still and not dancing bed. She was beat, and that musical number didn’t help. And since Luna was giving her a few days to adjust to the castle and a night-time schedule – because the princess of course was active mostly at night – she could simply snuggle right into bed and not worry about a thing.

“Mmmm, so soft….” Trixie mumbled as her head laid on the pillow, a small smile on her face , “Much better than the wagon……”

Author's Note

Song Obviously "Friend Like Me" from Aladdin, but inspiration to do it for Discord here came from the "Friend Like Me" parody produced by Statued Discord Replies:

For reference, I've been wanting to do this scene for ages, like, even before I did that massive break for which this chapter is hopefully an apology ^_^. Here's the Lyrics without all the story stuff to try and set what's happening during the song:

Trixie, I don’t think you realize what I’m offering here!
So, why don’t you contemplate
While I demonstrate the possibilities!

Well, Twilight Sparkle is an alicorn,
Parading around with them fancy wings.
But with this skill to make reality torn
You’ll have the power to do amazing things.
You could finally beat that nasty bear!
Put on a performance that stuns the crowd!
You’ll have the razzle, dazzle, magical flair,
That’s sure to make Princess Luna proud! She’ll say:
“Why my Trixie dear, never prouder could I be!”

She’ll be impressed, so will the rest
You ain’t never had a friend like me.
Life is your theater stage and I’m your attendee,
You’ll best Twilight, become Luna’s pride.
You ain’t never had a friend like me!

Yes dear, you pride yourself on magic.
Changing color, sound, and taste!
Forget the taunts, you true savant!
Shame such talent has gone to waste.

Think of your enemies, your fandom they’ll soon be.
I’m in the mood to help you, dude.
You ain't never had friend like me

[humming or whatever]

Can Twilight do this?
Can Twilight do that?
Can Twilight pull this
Out of their little hat?
Can Twilight go boom?
Well looky here.
Can Twilight say Arrivederci, snap like this,
And make Luna’s mane come right here?

So don’t just sit there slack-jawed, stupefied,
Give me an answer, simply yes or no?
You can get all your wishes, gratified,
Be the star of every single show.

I’ve got a powerful urge to help you out,
So what’cha say, I really wanna know?
You’ve got an ego three miles long, no doubt,
Well all you’ve gotta say is yes like so, and oh -

Trixie listen dear, we’ll be best pals you and me
You’ll be the best, with no contest
You ain't never had a friend, never had a friend,
You ain't never had a friend, never had a friend,
You ain't never had a friend like me.
You ain't never had a friend like me.

First Lesson

The only sound that could be heard in the library was the tick-tock of the clock, the little hand on the verge of hitting one in the morning. Princess Luna felt a tinge of worry in her chest as her eyes watched the steady pace of the second hand. It was unfortunate that the tea she had prepared had become so cold. A warm cup to help steady her nerves would have been divine. Instead, all she could do was sit and wait, eyes slowly scanning over the unopened books and still quill pens that should have been in a rush of writing by now. It had been agreed that her and Trixie would begin their lessons at midnight, when the most pressing of Luna’s nightly duties had been dealt with. When the first few minutes had gone by with no sign of her, Luna had simply assumed that Trixie was a little lost. It was, after all, her first time navigating the castle. When a half hour had passed, she had thought to send a guard for her. Feeling that it was best to let Trixie learn on her own, however, she had decided to give her just a little more time.

By now, however, she had to assume that something else had happened to have kept her eager new apprentice from arriving to the first lesson. Even in a castle as large as this the library would have been easy to find, and there plenty of guards for Trixie to have asked if she truly had gotten lost. Had some nefarious pony stopped her? Well, that would have been quite a stretch. There was always Discord, but even he would know better than to prank someone in the heart of the castle…well, most of the time anyway.

Still, the thought was enough to move the princess to action. Just as she stood up, however, her ear twitched, catching the sound of hooves clopping against stone. A few seconds later, Trixie burst through the library doors, panting as she slowed down before collapsing at the table.

“I’m…sorry…I’m late,” the mare said, struggling to catch her breath.

Trixie’s sudden arrival had startled her, and so she too had to take a moment to collect her own breath, relieved that Trixie appeared unharmed. Still, she had been an hour late, which had to be addressed. She couldn’t be too lenient, right? A good instructor did not go easy on their student, even when worried. Her composure regained, Luna stood up straight, hoping to hit that look of concerned but stern.

“I am glad to see that you are alright, Trixie. I was worried you weren’t going to make it to your first lesson,” she said as she sat back down at the table, maintaining her imposing posture.

Trixie, meanwhile, had finally settled down, her chest no longer rapidly expanding and contracting in her attempts to gasp for air.

“I said I’m sorry. It’s just that…”

“That?” Luna said, pouring Trixie a cup of tea as she awaited an answer, using some magic to try and heat it up just a tad.

“Well, it’s a little embarrassing,” Trixie said, gladly taking the cup in her own magic and gulping it down

“Trixie, if you had simply gotten lost, there is no real shame in that, though I would assume after an hour you would have asked a guard for assistance.”

“No, that’s not…okay, that was part of it.”

“Then what, Trixie, kept you?”

“I…slept in.”

Luna paused for a second, watching Trixie wiggle in her seat, her eyes darting at the door as if she was hoping to escape.

“Slept in?” she said, an eyebrow ever so slightly raised.

“Well, yeah. I set an alarm, but out of instinct I hit the snooze button…and then did that several more times,” she said, a blush growing on her cheeks.

Luna remained straight faced, but internally she was trying to hold back a laugh. All her worry and anxiety had been because Trixie had slept in? Part of her felt annoyed that Trixie couldn’t get up for something as important as a lesson, but that contrast between her worries and what actually happened was too great to ignore.

“And when I finally was awake enough to remember why I had set it so early, it was almost a quarter till. I tried to run here as fast I could, which is when I got lost and had to get directions,” Trixie said, her eyes finally meeting Luna’s, slouched down as if she were an animal trying to show submission. “You’re not mad, are you?”

Luna sighed. Trixie’s eyes were shimmering as she nervously pouted, and she felt that one wrong word would send the poor mare into a fit. Not wanting her first night as a mentor to start with crying, she relented.

“No Trixie, I am not mad,” she said, Trixie rising to a more confident posture. “I understand that adapting to a nocturnal schedule will require some time. However, please make sure to put more effort into ensuring that you are on time. Punctuality is a necessary part of showing proper respect for a mentor, after all.”

“That’s…fair, I guess,” she replied. Before either of them could settle on that for long, however, Trixie noticed the study materials across the table, her eyes lighting up. “Soooooo, what were you planning on teaching me?”

Luna smiled, glad to finally get the two of them on track. She levitated a paper, quill, and ink towards Trixie.

“We were to begin with some introductory magic theory so I could test your basic knowledge – ”

“No offense, Princess, but we covered all back in school, so maybe we could skip all that?”

Luna’s brow furrowed slightly.

“Yes, I am aware of your educational background, and while I am sure you received an excellent education at my sister’s school, I would prefer to test it for myself. There are no shortcuts, after all.”

She saw Trixie winced, but quickly returned to her more normal air of bravado by the time she finished speaking.

“Right, it’s just…I never thought my skills were truly reflected by exams. Quizzing me wouldn’t do me justice, and so I thought that maybe I could do something else?”

“Is that so?” Luna replied, the edge of her mouth curling up ever so slightly in a smile as she set the materials back down.

Trixie’s records from the school, which she had borrowed from Celestia, had suggested Trixie was not the academic that Twilight Sparkle had been. Trixie’s proposal, then, didn’t surprise her. In fact, she had expected Trixie to try and wriggle her way out of a theoretical exam. In truth, she hadn’t wanted to give one anyway, her own opinion similar to that of Trixie’s. In preparation for that, then, Luna had kept a wooden rectangular box underneath the table, which she now placed in front of Trixie.

“Then I suppose we can move on to more practical examinations.”

Trixie glanced down, a brief flash of uncertainty across her face, before responding.

“Y-yes, of course.”

“Good, though I think you might be familiar with the objects within this box,” Luna replied.

She levitated the lid off, and inside were simply three wooden balls, painted red, blue, and yellow. Trixie leaned over and peered in, and Luna could sense that Trixie’s relief at seeing the objects.

“Juggling? You just want me to juggle?”

Luna nodded. She had presumed an exam that was part performance would appeal to Trixie.

“Yes, you simply have to juggle using your telekinetic magic. It’s a simple exercise, yes, but the amount of control required to do it well shows a basic understanding of the usage of telekinesis.”

“Hah, then there’s nothing to fear, for I, the Great and Powerful Trixie, am an excellent juggler,” she said, though her eyes widened a second after she finished. Luna simply smiled as Trixie looked at her, having felt no real offense that Trixie had slipped into her “Great and Powerful” persona for a moment, and it seemed to give Trixie the comfort she needed to continue.

“Whenever you are ready, begin with one ball, and add in the others as you feel comfortable.”

Trixie’s horn glowed with a pink aura, which soon enveloped the blue ball. Luna couldn’t help but take a guess at why that one was the first, considering the color of Trixie’s own coat. She simply sat back and watched as Trixie levitated the ball up before cutting off the spell. The ball soon plummeted back down, but right before it hit the table, Trixie’s magic enveloped it again, and it was soon on its merry way back to the top of the cycle. Within a minute Trixie was comfortably doing this with all three balls, the pattern staggered such that there was always one ball just starting its way up, one ball at the peak, and one ball about to hit the table. Luna was pleasantly surprised that Trixie’s boast was indeed correct, though Trixie having her eyes closed and laying into the cushion seemed a bit overkill.

“Well, Trixie, it seems you have indeed mastered the basics of telekinesis,” Luna said, her own horn starting to glow with a dark blue aura as she levitated a fourth ball from under the table. “However, one should not feel so comfortable even when performing the basics of magic.”

“Huh, what do you mean by OOF—”

With her eyes closed, Trixie hadn’t noticed Luna adding the extra ball to the pattern, and in return received a nice bump on the head, disrupting her spell. Luna made sure to catch the rest of the balls before they fell, feeling that the one bump was enough for the point to be made.

“You could have warned me,” Trixie said, sitting back up and pouting as she rubbed at the sore spot.

“You could have remained alert instead of feeling so comfortable in having mastered basic techniques,” Luna replied, her voice having the slightest sharpness to it. She had been aware that Trixie was known for an ego, but seeing it in action was quite different. If they were to progress with lessons, it would have to be worked on.

For now, it seemed her point had been taken as Trixie simply took a breath and sighed.

“Yeah, I get it,” she replied. “Any other tests you’d like me to take?”

“I believe you have an interest in illusion magic, correct?”

Trixie looked up again, the smug smile that came with her usual bravado making another appearance. “It’s the staple of any good magician, like myself” she said, pointing at herself with her hoof. “It also happened to be my best subject in school.”

“...yes. In that case, let us test that next,” Luna said, though she did have to admit that illusion was the one class where Trixie did in fact receive a steady stream of higher scores.

Luna levitated one of the teacups form the tea set over to Trixie, setting it down in front of her. It was silver in color, and the moonlight from a nearby window was reflecting off it, revealing the patina of the piece that showed its age. Next, Luna levitated over another teacup, this one a basic white porcelain cup. Both were sat down in front of Trixie, who was fixated on the two cups.

“For this test, I would like you to cast a glamour spell to disguise the porcelain cup as the silver one. I shall turn around as you do so and then attempt to determine which one is the real silver cup based on sight alone.”

“Oh, is that all? That should be...easy enough,” Trixie said, sitting up and puffing out her chest. “I am a master illusionist, after all.”

Luna had to give some credit: as much as it could be irritating, Trixie’s bravado allowed her a quick turnaround from nervous to confident. It would simply be a matter of tampering it down just a tad so that Trixie had greater self-awareness.

“Just to ask, do I win anything if I trick you?”

Luna blinked. “Does the feeling of accomplishment for having passed the test not count as a reward?” she said, tilting her head.

“Oh, well, I guess it does…”

Luna glanced over at the pile of books on the table and had a thought. She levitated a scroll in front of Trixie.

“Trixie, do you know anything about sound magic?”

“Well, I do know how to add explosions to my fireworks spell, if that counts.”

Ah, yes, Trixie’s fireworks magic. It was a simple spell in appearance, but it’s combination of illusion and sound was actually quite advanced. The fact that her records had said she invented it while a student, albeit in her last year, had been impressive.

“In that case, I think you may be capable of learning this sound nullification spell on your own then. Learning to be quiet and hiding sound would be just as useful to a magician as learning how to make a loud explosion, would it not?”

“Oh, it would be great! I’ve had a lot of issues with ponies noticing me moving when I’m trying to be sneaky on stage, especially because there’s this really annoying creak in the floorboards of the wagon that I can’t seem to get rid of.”

For someone who apparently didn’t like books, Trixie couldn’t keep her eyes off of it.

“I thought so. Very well. If you trick me with your cup, I shall award you with this scroll,” she said. Internally, she had to give herself a little victory grin. She had honestly planned on giving it to Trixie as an assignment eventually anyway, so what did it matter if she made Trixie think she won it? The mare’s need for validation was obvious, after all, and it wouldn’t do to not take advantage of that to encourage her to study more.

“Alright, then watch as the Great and Powerful Trixie perfectly replicates this teacup by transforming this duller, less interesting one into something amazing!”

Luna put up a hoof before Trixie could cast the spell. “Do not be so hasty, Trixie. I still have to turn around, remember?”

Trixie blushed. “Oh, right.”

Luna simply giggled at her student’s enthusiasm and turned around.

“You may begin when—"

She didn’t even finish the sentence before she heard the sound of magic behind her.

“Ta-da!”

Luna took it as a sign that meant Trixie had finished her assignment.

“Very well, let us see if you truly are a master illusionist.”

She turned, and on the table before her were two silver teacups. At a first glance they looked rather similar, both being silver in color and of the right general shape. As she leaned in to take a better look, however, the flaws started to become apparent.

“I believe that the one on the right is the fake,” Luna replied. Trixie, to her credit, didn’t immediately exclaim ‘Oh no I’ve been found out’ or anything like that, but smiled instead.

“Oh, and how do you know?”

Now it was Luna’s turn to smile. She leaned in so her face was level with the cups, hoof pointing to the relevant parts as she spoke.

“First, the patterns on the edge of the cup are less defined and missing some of the details, the sign of someone who took a general look but didn’t work to study the material in-depth,” she said, looking up at Trixie. Trixie simply returned her look with a shaky smile.

“Second, it is too shiny. The original cup had a nice patina from its age and use. It seems your desire to show off got the better of you,” she said, returning to a comfortable sitting position, giving Trixie a slight smile. Her face returned to a more neutral position, however, as Trixie simply sighed, her horn glowing as she dispelled the glamour and revealing that yes, Luna had guessed correctly.

“You win, Princess,” Trixie replied, then glancing off to the side.

“Is something the matter, Trixie? I know for someone with your...confidence, losing is not a pleasant feeling, but it was still—"

“It was still ‘Trixie’s got too big of an ego for her own good’, wasn’t it?” Trixie said. The furrowed brow and shimmering eyes made Luna quite aware Trixie was now upset. What confused her more was who was Trixie upset at: her or herself?

“I did not mean for it to be taken that way, Trixie, but your eagerness did lead to several avoidable flaws in your spell. As your mentor, I must offer an accurate critique if you are to improve,” she replied.

“Yeah, but...but…” Trixie said, pushing herself on the table as if trying to match Luna’s height. After a second, however, she lowered herself back into the cushion, letting off a sigh. “Yes, Princess Luna.”

The coldness in Trixie’s voice stung, but Luna felt unsure on how to proceed. Trixie had already been jumping all over the place emotionally this evening. She recalled their magic duel in the dream world, the aggressiveness at which Trixie went at her. Underneath the pleasantries that Trixie put out, there was a pony who was angry. There was a temptation to poke at it just a little, to see what would happen if Trixie was prompted to let it all out. However, she still wanted this night to go well. Good instructors were tough, but they didn’t go out of their way to purposefully enrage their students. Glancing up at the clock, the end of the hour getting closer by the minute, Luna decided to address this another time, when Trixie had a chance to cool down and process whatever it was she was feeling.

“Please do not be too upset, Trixie, for it was indeed a good attempt. I am simply well informed about my personal tea sets, and to that effect more aware of the flaws than the average pony. Judging from that standard, then, I believe you’ve earned the scroll,” she said, levitating it in front of Trixie.

A moment passed.

“I don’t want it,”

“I said that I don’t want it!” Trixie yelled. “You’re just giving it to me out of pity, aren’t you?”

“Trixie that’s—" Luna paused, the statement not being completely untrue. It wasn’t out of pity, but a desire to reward a study who had legitimately tried. Her pause, however, seemed to be all that was needed for Trixie’s anxieties to begin to get the best of her.

“I thought so, but the Great and Powerful Trixie does not take pity hoofouts,” she said, pointing a hoof at Luna. “I won’t take that scroll until I can come up with an illusion so great that it’ll blow your mind! I’ll...I’ll…”

“Trixie, there’s no need to—" is what Luna started to say, before Trixie finished her thought.

“I’ll do a glamour spell that makes me look just like you!”

Luna just sat there, and the hoof she had started to reach out towards Trixie simply froze.

“What?”

Luna had meant that for a sign that the idea was highly unnecessary, but Trixie seemed to have gone into a fit, not even looking at her as she rambled on while pacing the floor.

“Yeah, it’s perfect! Your body shape is totally different from mine, and trying to replicate the wings would be really difficult!”

Trixie then turned back towards Luna, now in full “Great and Powerful” mode as she stood with her chest puffed out, gesturing to herself as she talked.

“By tomorrow night, I, the Great and Powerful Trixie, shall pull off a perfect replication of you in illusion form. And with such a demonstration of Trixie’s mastery of visual illusion magic, Trixie will earn that sound magic book fair and square!”

“O-okay?” was all Luna could say, still trying to process just how badly this lesson had gone off course. She had not meant it to be an agreement of the plan, but it had satisfied Trixie, who smiled and turned towards the door.

“Perfect! Then we shall see each other tomorrow tonight for a most wonderful display of magic,” Trixie said, throwing a foreleg into the air as if to give a wave of her cape before finally running off.

Luna took a moment to process everything, and simply sighed.

“It seems Trixie’s pride may be a bit more difficult to manage than I thought…”

That Something Special

“Ooooh, this was a bad idea,” Trixie said as she looked over “herself” in the mirror.

It had been several hours now since she had started working on her Princess Luna glamour spell, and things could not be going any worse. To start with, the coat was several shades of blue lighter than the darkened blues of Princess Luna, more soft pastel than the bold darkness of the night. She also realized she really had no idea how the princess got her mane to do that wavy star thing it was always doing, leaving her with just a plain old mane that she was pretty sure wrongly colored too.

If the colors were all off, that was nothing compared to the body shape issues. When she had put out this (admittedly self-made) challenge, she didn’t even think about the fact that, oh, yeah, she didn’t even look anywhere close to the princess physically! Luna had long, slender legs with an equally slender body that just yelled out “regal” and “graceful”. She, however, was normal sized in height, and her build was...she’d use the word ‘stouter’. Yeah, that sounded better than the other options.

Then, of course, there was the obvious issue of the wings, which she didn’t even want to think about how to replicate those and not dive straight into the uncanny valley. To think she had just spent hours cramming just to figure out how to do a full body glamour spell in the first place, and all she could do was maybe pass herself off as the only-a-unicorn younger sister of the princess. That was a far cry from her claim she’d be able make herself a “perfect replication.”

“Ugggh, come on Trixie, you can think of something,” she said. Her body was exhausted, however, having not even gotten any sleep since she ran out of the lesson. Despite her wants, the needs of her body forced her to flop on her bed, dejected.

In her heart she knew this was all just some stupid stunt she had forced on herself. At the end of the day, Luna really hadn’t said anything that bad or mean to her. Just, the idea that her ego was so unrestrained that she just subconsciously showed off over something as simple like an illusion on a cup had scared her. She was trying to do better, really! Yet it seemed that no matter what she did, she still couldn’t break her own habits. Once that panic set in, she lost all control over her mouth. Years of trying to cover a boast with more boasting apparently weren’t so easily broken.

Honestly, she really should have just gone back, apologized, and just asked Luna to forget the whole thing. Yet, at the same time, she wanted to at least give it a try. She had made the claim, so she needed to be able to do it. She was done with the boasting after all! Or, well, she was at least done with not being able to back up her boasting. And maybe, just maybe, showing she really could buckle down and do amazing things would get Luna to forget all about her little outburst, maybe even impress her. Yet, now it seemed that when midnight came around she’d show up to the next lesson looking like some bad quality knock-off.

Not that Luna would care about that kind of thing. She’d probably just tell me to learn from this mistake and just have more patience or something, Trixie thought rolling onto her back and looking up at the ceiling. Nothing I do seems to ever bother her that much…

Even now she could imagine it. She’d show up to Luna’s room, looking nothing like her at all, and give a weak “Ta-da.” Luna would just sit there quietly, maybe give a little sigh, before shaking her head, and then just say something like “It is a very good start, Trixie, but there is much work to be done.” It’d sound like a nice, patient mentor, but the real knockout would be her face. Luna always seemed to be just holding back what she was thinking, but that calm demeanor made you feel like she silently judging you, her words a simple politeness to not hurt your feelings.

It’d be damning with faint praise, which for her was even worse than somepony just hating her stuff outright. She could fight back against hate and mockery, but not disappointment! And then they’d have to talk about why she had done all this in the first place, and as much as Luna would probably say she sympathized, would she really want somepony so erratic as her as an apprentice. If she could pull this off, at least she’d be able to show she was so awesome at magic that Luna would have to keep her around, right?

“Why does making somepony like you have to be so hard!” she shouted, throwing her forelegs into the air before just letting them flop back onto the bed.

“And there, I think you hit on the vast majority of problems ponies have,” a familiar and irritating voice said from behind her. Trixie would have been shocked if she wasn’t already busy trying to process being frustrated.

“What do you want, Discord?” she said, tilting her head back and seeing the draconequus had suddenly taken up refuge on the headboard.

“Oh, such a grumpy little pony, aren’t you? By the way, did you do something with your mane?” he said, but before Trixie could respond he poofed.

Of course, she doubted he would be gone for long, and just as she sat up she heard him reappear behind her again, his claws digging through her mane.

“Though, if you were trying to copy Princess Luna’s look, your mane is missing a certain...shimmeriness to it. You are shampooing, rinse, and repeating, right?”

“Oh just shut up and go away,” she said, trying to bat him away with a foreleg. He complied, backing away at least.

“No need to be so testy there little stage mare. Here, just as a sign of peace, I’ll help you out, just a tad.”

She heard the snap of his fingers...claws...whatever they were, and at first she thought nothing had changed. When some strands of her mane fell in front of her face, however, her eyes widened. Trixie jumped off the bed, running over to the mirror to get a better look. The simple pastels of her attempts at the glamour spell were gone, instead replaced with the transparent, sparkling appearance that made Princess Luna’s mane so celestial. He had apparently even thrown in her tail, which was shimmering and moving behind her on its own.

“...you didn’t steal Luna’s mane and put it on me again, did you?”

“No, no, of course not. Do you think so poorly of me that you’d believe I’d pull the same joke twice?”

Trixie just looked at him.

“Oh, you wound me, Trixie,” he said, posing with a hand to his forehead before fainting onto the bed. With a poof, however, he was back in the air. “But seriously, it’s all yours this time. Honestly, it really isn’t as big of a deal to do as some ponies make it out to be.”

“Well, it helps the appearance out a bit, but I still look like a total mess…” she said, glancing at the rest of her body.

“Yes, you don’t exactly have that alicorn physique, do you? The long, slender legs,” he said, stretching his arms out like they were noodles. “The thin, supermodel barrel,” he continued, sucking in his breath and his body with it. “And of course, the magnificent pair of wings,” he finished, flapping his own wings. The whole sight was...well, it was a sight at least.

“Yeah, all of that. I mean, even though Twilight’s got a couple inches on me now, I could probably fake it enough to disguise myself as her,” she said, brow furrowing as she looked at the mirror. “But no way am I going to match Princess Luna. Though, guess if I got some stilts and a corset, maybe I could…”

“Oh pish-posh, you don’t need all that junk,” Discord said. Trixie watched as he floated over to her nightstand, pulling the apple he had given her out and giving it a light toss.

“No.”

“You didn’t even…”

“No! I already told you I don’t want your stupid ‘chaos’ magic,” she said, taking the apple in her levitation magic before throwing it onto the bed.

“Oh, come on, Trixie, cut it with the pride act,” he said, slinking as he flew towards her, turning her around to face the mirror, his paw and claw on her shoulders.

“I mean, for a first try this really isn’t too bad, but it’s nowhere near what you promised her.”

“Yeah, so what? She probably won’t mind at all,” Trixie replied, noting the irony of having this exact argument with herself just a few moments ago. “Wait, how did you know what kind of bet I made with her?”

“I might have been taking a little peek at your session. Though thank goodness you arrived when you did. It’s really hard for me to sit still as it is, but hiding as a book for over an hour? Ugh, it almost felt like I was a statue again.”

“Glad I could put on a good performance for you,” she said, her voice flat.

“Meh, I expected a bit more fireworks to be honest,” he said, shrugging. “Point is, you already screwed up once, then you threw a little tantrum that ended with you running off and leaving her utterly baffled,” he replied.

“Yeah, well...so?” she said, not exactly sure what to say. That pretty much summed up the situation, didn’t it?

“I mean, I don’t mind a little chaos now and then obviously, but do you really think Luna’s wanting to play therapist for a pony who swings so wildly in emotions? At least, one without a little something extra to make it worthwhile?”

“And what, you think letting me use chaos magic gives me that ‘something extra’?” she said, raising an eyebrow.

“Maaaybe? I mean, think of it like this. The last two apprentices Princess Celestia took up were a child prodigy and Twilight ‘probably pre-destined to be an Element of Harmony’ Sparkle,” he said, twirling a claw. “Granted, that Sunset Shimmer mare didn’t work out from what I heard, something about being really arrogant apparently. Sound familiar?”

“What are you saying?” she said, furrowing her brow.

“That maybe after a while they’ll think having another arrogant and egotistical apprentice might not be worth the trouble, unless they really think there’s a good reason to keep you around. And what would be a better reason than being something totally unique in the entire history of ponykind! I mean, unless you’re banking on there being another hidden set of Elements for you to become a bearer of?”

Trixie took another glance at the apple, which Discord was annoyingly hovering right in front of her. She glanced in the mirror again, seeing the laughable excuse of a Luna clone she looked like right now.

“...and you’re saying this would help me with my illusion challenge, right?”

“Hah, it’d be more than illusion if you really wanted to,” he said, flying back while snapping his fingers.

There was a puff of smoke, and when it finally cleared and she stopped coughing, she found herself looking down at the ground. Weirdly, it looked a few inches further away than she remembered, which prompted her to look in the mirror.

“I-I’m—"

She stopped as she heard her voice. It was deeper, more...well, Trixie considered herself a rather mature pony, but that was probably the best way to put it. Instead of speaking, she instead looked herself over. Slender legs and barrel, a celestial mane and tail shimmering around her, a coat dark like the night sky. Hesitantly she concentrated on trying to move the wings, only to let out a yelp as they shot wide open.

“Woops, I forgot you probably wouldn’t be used to the whole ‘having wings’ thing. If it matters, it took Twilight a whole trip to an alternate universe to get a hang of it,” Discord said, sitting on her bed, his legs crossed and his arms clasped on top of them.

“I really am Princess Luna now, aren’t I?” she said, looking over herself in disbelief.

“Well, not quite. I can’t really make you an alicorn, so you’re nowhere near her power. You might be able to lift up a moon pie, but definitely not the moon. I’d also suggest not trying to fly: I have no idea what pegasi wings grafted onto a unicorn would do. The whole magical flow surrounding you right now is just so chaotic, and I love it,” he said, chuckling.

Trixie really wasn’t paying too much attention though, too fixated on just how easy it had been for him to do this. She had spent years of learning the basics of illusion magic and trying to get a hang of even more complex stuff, and he had just snapped his fingers. Somewhere in her head she could hear Luna’s statement from last night, that there were “no shortcuts”. But, well, she had spent all day trying to do this and got halfway there, right? Would it reaaaaalllly be that bad if she got a little help to get over the last hump and finish it?

“Soooo, liking the new look there, Princess?”

She snapped back to attention, to Discord and the apple now floating in front of her face.

“You don’t have any funny business going on, right?”

“Trixie, dear, I am a reformed and honest member of society,” he said as he placed his paw on his chest and held up his claw. “Scout’s honor.”

“You were in the Pony Scouts?”

“No, but you don’t have to be a scout to have scout’s honor, do you?”

“Well…”

“Picky, picky. Point is, it’s all yours. Just enjoy that fresh and nutritious apple, and then you’ll have all the magical power you need to show Princess Luna that you really are the greatest and most powerful apprentice she could ever hope to find. Then she’d have no choice to keep you around, now wouldn’t she?”

Trixie bit at her lip, looking over herself in the mirror once more. This really was magic far beyond anything she could do on her own, at least not in time for Princess Luna think she was an apprentice worth keeping on. Even if she said no right now and just accepted looking like a complete fool, it really was just a matter of time till the princess realized she really wasn’t anything that special and dump her. Probably for some pony who wasn’t as loud or obnoxious as she could be. Basically, a total book nerd like Twilight seemed a much better fit to be Luna’s apprentice than she was.

But, if she had something absolutely no one else had…

Taking a deep breath, she looked over at Discord, who was leaning forwards with anticipation, and then back at the apple. She let the breath go as a sigh, taking another look at the apple. There was still a chance to back out as she leaned forward, hesitating when her lips touched its surface.

A second later, she bit it.

Great and Powerful Illusions

The smell of lavender tickled Princess Luna’s nose as she levitated another bundle of them into the scones that lined the throne room. It was a little ritual she liked to do, to help the denizens of the castle get to sleep after a long and busy day of governing. There was, however, another reason she enjoyed the task, one more personal. Nothing helped her to think more than a simple walk, and the stillness of the castle at night gave her plenty of time to focus on her own thoughts. After having dealt with Trixie last night and her stormy emotions, she really felt the need for such a moment of quiet.

“Good evening, sister. I hope that you are in a better mood to talk now?”

Or one not so quiet.

Luna turned to face her sister, who for once was not surrounded by a bunch of attention-seekers desiring her word on some issue or another. While she had hoped to have a moment alone to think, she still put on a smile for her sister, though she was also somewhat confused.

“What do you mean ‘now’? I do not believe we’ve had the chance to talk at all today.”

Her sister simply giggled.

“I’m not surprised you don’t remember. This morning I tried to ask you how your first lesson with Trixie went, but you simply grunted at me before biting into a pineapple and walking away. And after I went into so much work to make you some strawberry pancakes…”

Luna rolled her eyes.

“My apologies for being too tired to talk after working all night,” she said as she once again started on her walk, levitating another set of lavender flowers into another scone.

“Oh my, was Trixie really that much trouble for you?” Celestia, joining alongside her.

“No…well, there was the minor problem of her being an hour late due to sleeping in, which did delay my other duties.”

“No! An entire hour late?” Celestia gasped, though the small laugh that followed suggested it was in a jest.

“It may have been somewhat unfair of me to demand her to adjust to a nocturnal schedule after only a day. For now, I have decided to forgive it, so long as it does not become a regular occurrence,” she stated, her next hoof step coming down with just a bit more force than normal, as if to punctuate the declaration.

“That is quite merciful of you, Luna. Hopefully Trixie has learned to be more punctual since her school days. From what I recall, she was known for being a bit of a chronic tardier, usually because she was off somewhere trying some new trick.”

“I saw a mention of that in the records you let me borrow,” she said, glancing down at the wheel barrow full of lavender. “They suggested she had a rather…troublesome time in school.”

“Some foals do have trouble under the usual EEA requirements. I’ve tried to work with them about developing some new ideas for that, but it has been rather slow going.”

“Yes, I have heard of how difficult Chancellor Neighsay can be. Still, I am concerned that there might be more to Trixie’s problems than a simple disliking of textbooks and lecturing.”

“What do you mean?” Celestia replied, her tone having shifted from her usual playfulness to one of concern.

Luna bit at her lip, unsure how much to tell Celestia. Part of her still wanted to work this out on her own, if at least to show herself that she had a handle on this ‘mentor’ thing. But, she knew that Celestia had more experience in this matter, and at least had some knowledge of Trixie from the mare’s school days. It wouldn’t hurt, perhaps, to ask for some advice.

“Near the end of her lesson, after a relatively minor but understandable slip in her magic, she overreacted, and the next thing I knew she had challenged herself to, in one day, master the art of illusion magic to such a degree she could disguise herself as me and stormed out. It was all rather confusing,” she said, placing a forehoof on her head.

“Yes, uhm, that does sound a little confusing. Could you explain what this slip up was that got her so upset?”

“It was a simple request really. I wanted to test her glamour spell ability, and so I asked her to change the appearance of one teacup to look like another one. She had gotten rather close, but she had made hers shinier than the other. I simply pointed out she may have unconsciously transferred her usual desire to show off into the spell and—”

“Oh, I think I understand the problem,” Celestia said.

“And what is it, dear sister?” Luna said. She never quite liked being interrupted.

“You’ve mentioned before that Trixie feels guilty about what happened regarding the incidents in Ponyville, correct?”

“Yes, that is part of why I wanted to reach out to her after all.”

“It may be possible that she interpreted your comment about ‘showing off’ as throwing those incidents back in her face?”

“Perhaps.”

She looked down at the last bits of lavender that were left to put up as she thought. About her sister’s words. It sounded like a plausible reason for Trixie’s reaction. Being reminded of something one feels guilty about, even in such a small way, could elicit great emotion. Even after Twilight’s intervention, she still sometimes felt the heat of anger fill her when she saw a Nightmare Moon mask on Nightmare Night. Still, it didn’t feel like a full explanation of the events last night.

“Though, imposing something as challenging a full body glamour spell to appear as one who looks so different from her seems a rather odd reaction if she was simply lashing out about her guilt,” she said, glancing back at her sister. When her sister gently laughed, however, she tilted her head. “Do you find my apprentice’s emotional turmoil funny, sister?”

Celestia waved a hoof dismissively. “No, no, my sister, I’m laughing at you for missing the obvious conclusion for that,” she said, smiling.

Luna, however, remained confused.

“You see, my dear sister, it is common for apprentices to sometimes…overreact in their desire to please their mentors. I presume you recall the time Twilight once casted a ‘Want It, Need It’ spell on the entirety of Ponyville simply to try and have a friendship lesson letter for me?”

Realization dawned on Luna, and she rubbed the bottom of her muzzle as she thought.

“So, Trixie likely imposed the challenge on herself in order to impress me, possibly because she thinks I’m somehow disappointed in her for her overreaction?” she said, before shifting from rubbing her muzzle to what the modern era called a “facehoof.” “I knew her pride and anxieties were deep, but this is truly a vexing level to deal with.”

She could feel her sister gently wrap her with a wing, and without really thinking about it, she found herself leaning into Celestia just a little. Her sister always felt rather warm to lean on, like a soothing nap under a heavy blanket in the middle of the night.

“It’s alright, Luna. As awkward as you can be sometimes…”

Luna gave her sister the side-eye, with Celestia simply smiling back.

“Don’t give me that look, Luna. We both know that you are sometimes not the most sociable of ponies. But, when it matters, I can’t think of a single pony who is better at empathizing and understanding the needs of another pony better than you. Sooner or later you’ll figure out the best way to reach out to Trixie, and I am sure she’ll be eager to accept it.”

“It is nice to know you have such confidence in me. Perhaps I should have a talk with Trixie after—”

“PRINCESS LUNA!”

“Or, possibly, right now,” Luna said as she turned her gaze to the silver-maned unicorn running towards the two of them from the other end of the hall.

“I think I shall take my leave, then,” Celestia said, letting go of Luna and turning to leave. Before she could take a step, however, Trixie yelled out again.

“WAIT! WE NEED A JUDGE,” Trixie said as she slid to a stop in front of them.

“Or I shall stay around to be a judge,” Celestia said, giggling as she turned to face Trixie, who was catching her breath. “And what shall I be judging, Trixie?”

“Evening…Princess…Celestia.” After a second Trixie’s breathing returned to normal. “I told Princess Luna that by this evening I would have mastered a spell that would make me appear just like her. We need you to judge how well I did by seeing if you can tell the difference…if you’d like, Princess Celestia,” Trixie said, finishing her request with a little bow.

“Hmmm, very well. While I can’t stay for your whole lesson, I think I can make time for this little test,” Celestia said, giving a wink to Luna.

Luna, meanwhile, was unsure. She had hoped to simply talk with Trixie without all this, for surely there was no way that Trixie would have mastered such a task after just one night. Yet, the look of excitement on Trixie’s face guilted her. Maybe it would not be too bad a result if Trixie’s failure gave her a launching point for talking on more serious matters. Though, the fact that Trixie was so excited gave her a moment of pause, for based on what she had seen Trixie should not be so enthusiastic to obviously fail. From that alone, she had to admit a tinge of curiosity for whatever it was that Trixie was going to do. Perhaps, in some feat of ingenuity, she had figured a way to do it.

“Whenever you are ready, Trixie, we can begin your challenge. Though, do not be disappointed if my sister is able to tell the difference. After all, we have known each other for a rather long time, and as such there may be minor subtleties she could spot...” she said, hoping that would provide an out for Trixie that would not hurt her pride.

Her curiosity was again tickled, however, as Trixie puffed out her chest just a tad and grinned.

“Do not underestimate the Great and Powerful Trixie’s abilities.”

Luna looked over at Celestia, who was giggling at Trixie’s antics. She personally didn’t want to encourage this bravado, but if it could give Trixie enough confidence to push on, then she would tolerate it.

“Very well, we shall begin. Sister, if you would,” she said, motioning with a forehoof for Celestia to turn around. Her sister complied, and Luna turned her attention to Trixie. “Are you sure about this, Trixie?”

Trixie nodded. “Yes, I said I would do it and I’m going to do it! No more boastful Trixie, after all! I’m going to show you exactly how great I can be at magic.”

“Trixie, there is no need to prove anything to me,” Luna replied, and for a moment Trixie seemed hesitant. After a second, and Trixie shaking her head, she once again appeared rather resolute, with whatever thought having stopped her now obviously gone.

“No, I do have to prove something,” Trixie said, staring forward and taking a breath. Luna simply sighed, hoping that after they had a chance to talk Trixie wouldn’t feel like that was a case.

With nothing else to say, the two mares stood side by side a couple of feet apart, standing in as close to the same pose as they possibly could. Luna still looked at Trixie out of the corner of her eye, watching as Trixie’s horn began to glow. The flash of magic forced her to close her eyes, and she felt tempted to keep them closed for a bit longer so as to delay disappointing Trixie. When she opened her eyes and looked, however.

“T-Trixie, how did you…”

There would be no need for Celestia to judge this contest, for Luna felt as if she was looking into a mirror. The silver-maned mare was no more, replaced instead by a clone of her. Trixie had even somehow mastered the slightest fidgeting of the wings, so as to give them the illusion of being real. Such a feat was a challenge for any illusionist simply trying to replicate a pony, let alone all the differences between an alicorn and a normal pony.

“Luna, it’s too easy a challenge if you talk,” Celestia said, still turned around. Before Luna could respond, however, Trixie-as-Luna spoke up. “There is no need to worry, sister, for Trixie has made such a wonderful disguise that even talking won’t help.”

She…she had somehow copied her voice as well. Sure, she knew Trixie had some sound illusion ability with her fireworks, but perfectly replicating another pony’s voice? All she could do was look at Trixie, her mouth slightly agape, as Celestia turned around.

“Is that so? Well, I think I’ll…be the judge of that?”

Glancing at her sister, she could see that Celestia was also looking at Trixie with some awe. A moment of silence passed, both of them simply taking in the sight, the Trixie-Luna simply grinning in victory.

“Soooo, does this mean that The Great and Powerful Trixie has won the challenge?”

“Well, I would certainly say so Trixie,” Celestia said, gently giving a bow. “It appears that I may have underestimated your skill, for I was half expecting you to simply look like a miniature version of my sister, minus the luxurious mane and wings of course.”

Trixie laughed, but there was a nervousness to it that Luna couldn’t help but notice.

“Well, that was what it looked like at first, but after I really put my mind to it, I figured out how to do it.”

Luna raised an eyebrow. It couldn’t be that simple, could it?

“And what was this trick that you discovered that allowed for such unexpected results?”

“Oh, well, you know, really learning how to imagine you in my mind and trying to ‘fit’ myself into that image. I mean, at least that’s kind of how I would describe the feeling,” Trixie said, rubbing a foreleg across another one.

“It seems you have quite the powerful imagination, and quite a memory, to have been able to perfectly replicate my sister in such detail,” Celestia said, having moved around Trixie so as to get a better look at the mare’s illusion from all angles. For what was supposed to be an amazing accomplishment that Trixie would be proud of, however, Luna couldn’t help but notice the mare seemed particularly fidgety, her wings twitching so slightly in that way some pegasi did when they were being questioned.

“Yes, it is most impressive for you to have advanced your knowledge in illusion magic so quickly in such a short amount of time,” Luna added, taking a small step towards Trixie, who matched her movement. An odd thing indeed.

“Like I said, I wanted to prove to you that I really knew what I was doing, that I wasn’t just boasting,” Trixie said, looking at Luna.

The princess could see Trixie’s eyes darting around. Luna could guess that it was in search of even the slightest sign of disappointment or rebuke. She turned slightly to look at Celestia, who, now done with her investigation, simply smiled and nodded at her.

Perhaps all of this was simply Trixie showing a rare moment of embarrassment at the attention she was getting. Still, something was obviously bothering Trixie, and while she had hoped to talk later, there didn’t seem to be any reason to not try to talk now.

“Trixie, I appreciate your eagerness in wanting to show your talents, but there’s no need to prove anything to me,” Luna said, letting her face soften into a gentle smile. “When I took you on as an apprentice, it was because I believed that you had potential that, with proper guidance, could indeed allow you to be the great and powerful mare you believe yourself to be.”

Trixie quickly glanced away from Luna, a hoof gently kicking at the floor of the hallway.

“I know you say that, but…I mean, look at Celestia’s apprentices. Twilight was a prodigy and became a princess, and so was Sunset Shimmer before she ran off into that mirror thing! I just wanted you to know that I could be one too.”

Luna was about to say something, but all of a sudden Celestia stepped forward, a slight furrow to the brow that she had only seen on her sister when she suspected something was wrong.

“How do you know about Sunset Shimmer and the mirror? Not many ponies outside of the castle would know of such things, considering it was supposed to be secret.”

Trixie’s eyes widened. “Er…well, someone might have mentioned something about her to me…”

“Who was this ‘someone’?” Celestia said. Luna was rather surprised at the intense look on Celestia’s face. She knew the stories of her former apprentice, one whose own pride and ambition had lead to a falling out and her disappearance across the magical mirror. It was odd Trixie would know of it, however

“N-no one in particular, really. Just, you know, Discord,” Trixie said, her mouth twitching as she tried to smile.

In an amazing moment of synchronization, both sisters sighed and engaged in a ‘facehoof.’

“Of course he would. That explains so much of your anxiety,” Luna said. It shouldn’t have surprised her that that draconequus would deem her apprentice a worthy target for mischief.

“Trixie, my dear, just how much Discord tell you of Sunset Shimmer?” Celestia said.

“Just, you know, that she was really arrogant and so you two might not like another arrogant apprentice around unless I showed I was just way too good to not keep around,” Trixie said, still grinning.

“Ugh, that insufferable draconequus,” Celestia said, shaking her head. “It is true that Sunset Shimmer was arrogant, and ambitious, but she chose to leave on her own, and it was only till recently it seems she learned she was wrong. Comparatively, you have a greater awareness of your flaws than she did as my apprentice.”

Trixie’s smile stabilized. “Really?”

Luna stepped forward. “Trixie, despite the word ‘powerful’ in your title, ultimately it is not your potential to be powerful magician that I am concerned about.”

Trixie blinked. “Uhh, then what are you concerned about? Because I thought that was the whole point of being an apprentice.”

Luna gave a gentle laugh. “No, Trixie, I am ultimately interested in your potential to master the power and magic of friendship and become a better pony. Sure, I will teach you magic along the way in hopes of you using it for good like Twilight Sparkle has, but even if you are not another Starswirl the Bearded in the making, I would continue to mentor you.”

Trixie simply looked at her as if she had never heard something like what she had just said. Luna was not so sure what to do in this moment, but continued to smile in hopes something would break the tension. Trixie starting to cry, however, was not exactly the tension reliever she had wanted.

“I…thank you, Luna,” Trixie said, using a forehoof to wipe the tears away…wait a moment.

“Trixie, how are you making the illusion cry?”

Once again, Trixie’s eyes widened. “O-oh, I, uh, guess I’m somehow making the tears from my actual body just kind of show up in the illusion’s eyes?”

That didn’t sound like how an illusion spell would work. Sure, one could fake it, if Trixie had been on stilts such that her real face was where the illusion’s face would be, but Trixie hadn’t been wearing stilts or anything when she arrived.

“Trixie, could you cancel the illusion and do it again, with some explanations?” Luna said. She didn’t want to discourage her student, but if Discord had been talking with her, there was the potential for some mischief having occurred here.

“Yes, I too am rather curious about how you pulled off such a grand illusion, Trixie? Or is this a ‘magician never reveals her trick’ kind of deal?” Celestia added.

“L-like I said, I’m just really good at translating my imagination to an illusion,” Trixie said, gently backing up. She then yawned and stretched. “Anyway, I’m really tired out by holding this spell for so long, so maybe we can talk about it more tomorrow?”

“Sure, Trixie, we can talk about it tomorrow, if that is what you would prefer,” Luna said. Something was up, but she was not eager to begin pushing her student away with suspicions after having finally gotten to her in some manner. If Discord had helped her cheat or something, there would be time to deal with it tomorrow.

“Great! Well, uh, good night then,” Trixie said, her horn glowing as the illusion dispelled.

Both Luna and Celestia had started to turn to prepare to head out themselves, but the air was soon pierced with Trixie’s screaming. Quickly turning around, Luna’s eyes widened at the sight, leaving her with only one question to ask.

“Trixie, could you explain why you have an Ursa Minor’s leg?”

Mischief Revealed

Everything seemed like it had been going good so far. Sure she might have “cheated”, but it was all to just prove to Luna she had talent, right? Well, potential talent at least. Someday she would be able to pull of this trick for real, so there really wasn’t any harm if she faked it a little. Just fake it till you make it, right?. She’d just have to be a little careful from now on though as it seemed like they were a little suspicious that something was up. Overall, though, a good night. Now she just had to get rid of the disguise and –

She froze, her mind utterly stopped as she tried to process the sight before her. Instead of the beautifully blue coat of a pony leg was the scraggly, shimmering paw of an Ursa Minor. There wasn’t a need to take a second look. Considering how the sight of that creature was burned into her memory, one look was all she needed. Even now she could feel a tightness in her chest, every breath becoming harder and harder to take yet her body desperately wanted air.

Once she got that air, though, all she could do was scream.

“Trixie, could you explain why you have an Ursa Minor’s leg?”

Her mind was so focused on that leg that she wasn’t sure if that was Luna or Celestia talking to her. Why did that accursed bear still haunt her now?! Why was it her leg?!

Discord.

He had to be involved in this somehow! That was the only explanation she could think of at the moment. She needed to get out of here, now.

“Calm down, Trixie. Relax and –”

Again, she didn’t know who was talking, and it didn’t matter.

“SMOKEBOMB!”

She didn’t have her cape, and therefore no bombs, but that was no problem. Her horn began to glow, surging with magic, but the usual pink hue was gone, instead replacing by a dark purple aura, interspersed with brightly colored shapes. Again, it didn’t matter, her thoughts pre-occupied with filling the room with as much smoke as possible. Her eyes stung as smoke exploded out of her horn, but the sound of princesses coughing was all she needed to know that now was her chance to go.

Running with a bear paw was a little difficult. At first she stumbled, flopping to the ground sporadically. Panic, though, is a surprisingly good motivator for learning quickly. Soon she was running like it was always a part of her. That was not a comforting thought.

She didn’t know how long she ran or where in the castle she ended up in, the stone hallways looking all the same to her. Just as she felt ready to collapse, however, she spotted a door. She quickly ducked in and shut it, finding herself in almost total darkness. The only source of light was the crack at the bottom of the door. Once her vision adjusted to the dark though, she recognized what the room was: a broom closet.

It would do for now.

She flopped down, back against the wall, just trying to relax and catch her breath. In the darkness of the closet that cursed foreleg taunted her, twinkling like the night sky. It was almost a relief, then, that the sight began to blur as she started to cry. Part of her still registered she was supposed to be trying to find Discord right now, but as the tears kept coming, she lost the desire to. All that fear, all that anxiety, it was just bursting out and there was nothing she could do to stop it.

On the bright side, if she got it all out now, at least she wouldn’t cry when Luna expelled her.

It had all happened so fast. The foreleg, the chaos magic streaming from Trixie’s horn, the smokebomb. Even now Luna found herself coughing so much she was having some trouble concentrating on a spell to push away the smoke. Before she regained her composure, however, she felt a gust of wind blowing the smoke out towards an open window and the feeling of a hoof on her back.

“Are you alright, Luna?”

Right, her sister was still there, fortunately.

“I’m” – she coughed – “fine.”

After a few more coughs she began to catch her breath, and Trixie was long gone. She was worried, of course, but the sight of that magic from Trixie’s horn had awoken another emotion: anger. A tiny smidge of that was aimed at Trixie, who she had thought would have known better than to do what she thought she did. The brunt of it, though, was reserved for another.

“DISCORD!” she shouted, the full power of the Royal Canterlot voice causing the entire hallway to shake and rattle.

“I think I’ll go and try to find Trixie,” Celestia said, gently backing away from Luna. “Just, don’t try and turn him to back to stone. I understand your anger, but I don’t believe Fluttershy would appreciate it”

“He has tempted my apprentice into a deal!” Luna said, snapping back at Celestia.

“Which is why I simply said to not entomb him,” Celestia said, a coy grin as she began to walk away. “Anything else, however, I will leave to your discretion.”

It was weird to be smiling while angry, but that was the contradiction of righteous fury.

“Thank you, sister.”

As Celestia left, she took a moment to take a calming breath. While she would enjoy lashing out at Discord with the full force of an alicorn, her sister was right. They were technically trying to help the chaotic being reform and become a better being. As such, they had an obligation to not completely tear into him whenever he crossed a line. Still, she had an apprentice to protect, and to threaten that which a princess has promised to defend – whether an individual or a nation – was to cross the most stringent of lines. It would not be taken lightly.

“Discord, I know you would not stray far from the sight of your mischief. Save yourself the trouble and reveal yourself, now,” she commanded, maintaining the firmness of her authority without resorting to shaking the halls with the Royal Canterlot Voice.

The giggling of the draconequus echoed throughout the room as he spiraled into existence, for that was about the only way to describe the swirling manifestation that appeared in front of before taking on his form.

“I guess the jig is up,” he said with a shrug. Luna simply glared at him, analyzing that smarmy grin on his face. He simply looked back at her, unphased, as he crossed his claw and paws in front of him.

“I guess you’re not in a happy mood?”

“No, I’m not.”

She watched as Discord leaned up against the wall, filing his claw.

“Listen, we both know that it was only a matter of time till she tried something.”

“Relax, it’s only temporary. Like I’d actually permanently give some random two-bit stage pony the gift of chaos magic,” he said, chuckling. “That apple will work through her system, and after a few days she’ll be back to normal.”

Luna took a deep breath. She already sensed that she was going to need something to drink after all this was done.

“And what of the fact her leg is an Ursa Minor paw now?”

Discord laughed again, and Luna felt particularly angered at just how casual he was.

“Oh, that was the best part, wasn’t it? It’s kind of like the whole alicorn thing, really. A pony gets access to alicorn magic, they get the whole horn and wing deal,” he said, summoning up a pair of horns and wings. Seeing them unattached to a pony was slightly unnerving.

“A different pony gets chaos magic and, well, chaos magic does not like being contained in something so ordinary looking. Instead” – he poofed away the body parts and put a spotlight on himself as he posed – “it prefers something a bit more mis-matched.”

The spotlight disappeared as he once again leaned up against the wall.

“Not that that’s my backstory, of course, but point is the more she uses it, the more she’ll take on the appearance of a draconequus. Just have her refrain from using it for a few days and she’ll be fine.”

“But why a Ursa Minor paw in particular?”

“Chaos magic has a sense of humor,” he said with a grin.

That this whole affair was temporary was of some relief, but she still felt like she was going to need a strong drink after all this was over to cover up the headache she was developing.

“Okay, fine, the magic is temporary and Trixie will be normal soon. That’s good. Now, explain to me why you decided to make such an offer to my apprentice.”

“Well, one, because it was fun,” he said, a giant red one appearing next to him. “Seriously, the way that mare flips emotions is so entertaining. Anyway, two" – a two appeared next to him – “I wanted to test your new apprentice.”

“Test her? What do you mean ‘test her’.”

Discord rolled his eyes at her, but she felt a shiver go up her spine as he grinned.

“Oh please, did you see how desperate she was to please you? Considering she already sought out a cursed artifact in order to one up a pony for bruising her ego, I simply wanted to see if she had changed at all. I’m just as surprised as you are she took me up on the offer so quickly. If anything, you should be thankful I saved you the trouble of taking in such an obviously dangerous pony.”

At that Luna began to walk forward, her horn beginning to glow as a ball of energy formed at the tip of her horn.

“How DARE you talk about my apprentice like that!”

While she had no plans on actually blasting him with magic, a part of her enjoyed watching Discord squirm as she approached him. Seeing that grin wiped off his face gave her the small bit of schadenfreude she needed to get through this.

“I chose Trixie as an apprentice because she has had trouble with temptation in the past. I wanted to help her overcome it, to learn how to deal with that pain, and to become a better pony for it. It was not your place to take advantage of her trauma for your pleasure,” she said, punctuating her statement with a small blast of magic, leaving a small burn mark on the stone next to him. “You were given a second chance, despite my own objections, and you have no right to deny Trixie of her own.”

She could see those yellow eyes looking at her wide in surprise, but she was confused that he was once again starting to grin.

“It sounds to me this more about confirming your second chance, Princess Luna.”

She glared at him.

“And what do you mean by that?”

“Isn’t it obvious? You’re still feeling guilty about that Nightmare Moon thing, aren’t you?” he said, poofing away so he was no longer trapped between her and the wall, reappearing on the other side of the room. “I can’t believe I’m just realizing this, but you think if you can help Trixie you’ll absolve yourself, don’t you.”

Luna took a moment, another deep breath. This draconequus tested her every nerve, but he had said something with some truth to it. She stood firm, locking eyes with him as she spoke.

“Yes, part of my desire for helping her is because I see much of myself in her. The desire to be loved by others, the feeling of being in somepony’s shadow, the feeling of such despair that the only way out is to fall for the temptation of power instead of the magic of friendship. You are mistaken, however, in thinking this is simply to resolve my own guilt. It is because I have been through such things that I am obligated to reach out and help her, so that hopefully my knowledge can help another.”

Discord rolled his eyes.

“Obligation? Bleh, almost wished you had said it was just to make you feel better. ‘Obligation’ just sounds so cold,” he said.

“How is it cold? The obligation to help one another is the highest calling expected of ponies. It is the very foundation of this nation!”

“But still, obligation? It makes sound like work, like you’re doing it just because you have to,” Discord replied. “It comes off as so…impersonal.”

Luna backed off for a second, thinking about what Discord was saying. She doubted that he really cared that much and was just trying to shift blame onto her, but maybe there was some truth to it? Even with all her experience dream-walking, Trixie’s anxiety about how others saw her seemed particularly harsh. She had thought she was doing a good job addressing them, trying to be gentle and casual yet firm and supportive. That was what a mentor was supposed to be like, right? Yet, as she thought about it, very few of their interactions to this point had really involved them discussing more than magic or Trixie’s failures. It was obvious, at least, that her own attempts to convince Trixie she was alright had failed in making the impact she had desired.

“…you may have, in your need to excuse yourself, stumbled on a valid point, Discord,” Luna said. Still, she remained defiant. “But that still does not excuse what you have done. I know, of course, you ultimately won’t listen to us, but I do know of a mare you will listen to.”

She enjoyed the satisfaction of watching Discord’s smug grin be wiped off his face.

“You wouldn’t?”

Instead, it was her turn to grin.

“You manipulated the emotions of a vulnerable mare in order to convince her to take on dangerous and unstable magic. I believe that is something that Fluttershy deserves to be aware of. Or would you rather take a shift as an attraction in the gardens, again?”

Discord raised a paw, but hesitated to say anything. A second later he just crossed his arms and huffed, further cementing Luna’s sense of victory.

“Fine, you win. I’ll leave your precious apprentice alone.”

“You will apologize to her,” she scolded.

“Really?”

“You might as well, for I suspect that Fluttershy will demand you do so anyway,” she replied, feeling rather coy as Discord once again grumbled.

“Fine, I’ll apologize to her. Anything else?”

“I think a temporary banishment from the castle would also suffice,” she added. “Now let us find Trixie so you can apologize and leave.”

“Oh, she’s currently in a broom closet.”

Luna blinked.

“How did you know that?”

“Luna, dear, I am the embodiment of chaos itself. It’s not that hard for me to know where a big bundle of bouncing baby chaos magic is located.”

“Fine. Let us be off, then.”

Trixie didn’t know how long she had been in the closet by this point, but it was enough that when the door finally opened she had to squeeze them shut to protect them from the sudden burst of light.

“Trixie! Are you alright?”

That was Luna’s voice, right? She opened her eyes slowly to give them time to adjust to the light of the hallway again. The familiar dark blues of Luna greeted her, looking down at her with worry. Behind her, however, was that messed up looking noodlehead, and soon her face began to feel flushed with anger-induced adrenaline

“WHAT IN TARTARUS IS THIS, DISCORD?!” she said, lifting up the Ursa Paw, her yelling also opening her mouth wide enough to show the fanged tooth that had formed as well.

Discord, of course, snickered.

“Let me guess, you tried to magic the leg away?”

Trixie stood up, pointing an accusatory hoof at him, her normal tail having been replaced with a twitchy little bunny’s tail.

“Well of course I tried! I tried and tried and…and you didn’t say anything about this happening!”

It was then she remembered Luna was there, and she really wished she could just shut the door again. Just close off the world and act like it didn’t exist. Unfortunately she was already out of it, so she had no choice

“Princess Luna, I-I—”

“Trixie, I am aware of what has happened. Discord is here to apologize to you, and then we shall have a talk.”

Trixie looked down at the ground, the definitiveness of the statement not sounding good for her. Though, if Discord was supposed to be apologizing…

“Well, Discord?” she said, enjoying what would probably be her last chance in a while to at least feel a little bit superior to another. Discord summoned up a piece of paper, his own eyes simply reading over it.

“I’m sorry for manipulating your emotions in order to convince you to make a deal with me. It should wear off in a few days and you will be back to normal. I hope you are willing to forgive me for my transgressions against you,” he said, completely and utterly flat-toned.

“Geeh, that was such a good apology,” Trixie replied, with the same sarcastic flatness.

“Well, you were still the one who accepted OOF.”

Trixie smiled as Luna bumped into Discord, who simply rolled his eyes.

“Look, I said sorry. Can I go now? I got a night of swing dancing to get out of the way before Fluttershy puts me on lockdown.”

“Might as well just let him leave. I don’t think he’s going to give me a better apology than that,” Trixie said. Discord obviously wasn’t that regretful and, well, he did have a point she had chosen this. Still, the fact the whole mixed-up monstrosity thing meant she wouldn’t be looking like a freak the rest of her life. At least that little bit of anxiety she could let go of.

Luna, meanwhile, simply sighed. “Fine, you can go, Discord.”

“Ta-ta, ladies,” he said, disappearing in a puff of smoke, leaving the two of them alone.

“So…should I go and pack my stuff now?” Trixie said, looking up at Princess Luna.

When the princess lifted a foreleg, Trixie closed her eyes and braced herself for…well, she wasn’t sure exactly, but it was not for the Princess gently laying a leg on her shoulder. Opening an eye, she saw Luna was simply smiling at her. Cautiously, Trixie let herself relax, the slight twitching of the bunny tail still signaling her anxiety.

“Trixie, take an hour to calm yourself down in your room, then come meet me in the gardens. There is, as you can imagine, quite a lot for us to talk about. For now, however, do know that I do not plan on expelling you, so that is one less thing for you to be worried about.”

“O-oh, okay then,” Trixie said, rather confused about this turn of events but believing it better to take it and not question it for now.

As she walked in what she believed was the direction her room was in, she tried to push back more growing anxiety by holding onto the hope that Luna’s statement hadn’t just a euphemism for “I’m going to throw you in the dungeon.” Because there was no way that was what she meant, right?

Lessons Learned

The cold evening air nipped at her wings as a gentle breeze rustled her feathers. It had almost been an hour now since Trixie had revealed her rather misfortunate decision. Luna had been contemplating about it all, having sat quietly at a little table she had prepared out in the garden overlooking the pond. She almost felt like she was being taunted by it’s stillness, her own mind wracked with thoughts.

Her first thought, of course, was of Discord. Even now she could feel the rising burning in her chest as she imagined the creature having one final laugh on his way back to Ponyville about everything that had transpired. At least there was some comfort in knowing he was likely in for a scolding from Fluttershy. She was timid, but there was an inner strength in that mare that could be surprisingly forceful when she learned somepony else was wronged. Or at least, that was the impression she got from reading Twilight’s letters. The thought of such a timid being taming the might embodiment of chaos was amusing enough to calm her anger at least a little.

What it couldn’t calm, however, was the anxiety.

Glancing up towards the castle where Trixie’s room was, the light in the window gone, she sighed. It had not even been a week, and yet her attempt at taking on an apprentice had already gone so far off track. Just where she had gone wrong? She had known Trixie was rather… eccentric. “Bombastic,” “dramatic”, and “egotistical” had been just a few of the words Twilight had described her in.

It had been clear from Trixie’s nightmares, however, that at the root of her behavior was a sensitivity towards what others thought of her. That anxiety of, course, was something she herself had known rather well. Did ponies like you enough? Did they know you existed? Did they appreciate all the hard work you did? It had been an obsession that had driven her mad once, and she had hoped to help Trixie overcome it. Instead, she drove her to make yet another dramatic decision, though it was fortunately only temporary.

The question, then, was what had she done wrong?

“Like you’re doing it just because you have to,” she mumbled to herself, thinking back on Discord’s words.

She hated to admit it, but the draconequus may have had some bit of a point in his ramblings. It was her duty, after all, to travel the dreams of others and help them overcame that which gave them nightmares. Trixie’s case, however, seemed it would require a more direct touch to solve, which bringing her on as an apprentice had seemed the right idea. Yet, apparently a thousand years trapped as Nightmare Moon had not given her as much insight into ponies as she had thought. And with the ringing of a nearby clock tower signaling the hour was over, the possibility of a last-minute realization was gone.

A moment passed, and yet Trixie was not in front of her. Trixie had arrived, of course, but she had apparently decided to stay behind a nearby hedge, the curl in her mane the only thing visible beyond the edge. Such hesitance, of course, was expected, and it had to be met with patience and delicacy.

“Come here, Trixie. There is something important we have to discuss,” she said, sounding as calm and inviting as she could. “I’ve even had some tea made, if you would like some.”

Trixie didn’t respond, but Luna paid it no mind. She simply began to pour two cups, allowing the sound of the mare sitting down on the cushion give her notice that Trixie was ready.

“So…how screwed am I?”

Luna looked up again, scanning over Trixie’s distorted form, or at least what she could see. It seemed that the mare had put her hat and cloak back on, no doubt to try and hide her new, if temporary, features. Still, there was an Ursa Major’s paw on the table, and the ruffling of the cloak suggested that the bunny rabbit tail was twitching nervously behind her. Chaos magic, for it’s supposed randomness, truly did seem to enjoy giving ironic punishments.

“Trixie, you are not ‘screwed’,” she said, glad that some of the guards had given her a quick primer on some modern slang when she had first returned to Equestria. “You made a mistake, and while we can’t ignore it, a teacher has to allow their students to make mistakes.”

“MISTAKE?!” Trixie said, standing up and turning sideways to show off the rabbit tail. “I can literally pull myself out of my own hat if I wanted to and you’re saying it was just a mistake?”

“Trixie, there’s no need to get so excited. Please, calm down so we can…”

“I made a deal with Discord and now I’m turning into a freak! How am I supposed to calm down!?” Trixie yelled back before collapsing down onto the table, covering her head with her arm and foreleg. “Look, you don’t have to sugar-coat it or anything. I messed up big-time, and I don’t deserve to be your apprentice. So just yell at me, kick me out, and get it all over with.”

“I already declared that I will not be sending you away, Trixie.”

“Well you should! I just got here and already messed up. It’s only a matter of time till I mess up again. I should just –”

“Trixie. Lulamoon. That is enough!”

Apparently calm statements of ‘It will be okay’ were not getting to Trixie. If it was force that she wanted, it was force she would get. Rising up, Luna spread her wings out, glaring down at the now startled mare.

“Do you question my will, Trixie Lulamoon?”

“N-no, but…”

“No buts. I have already determined that you will remain here in the castle as my apprentice. Unless you wish for me to proclaim this with the full authority befitting the Royal Canterlot voice, I suggest you accept that fact. Now.”

A second passed, Trixie simply looking up at her with her mouth open but no sound coming out. Just as Luna was beginning to weave the magic of the Royal Canterlot Voice into her throat, Trixie finally squeaked out a simple “Okay.”

“Very well, Trixie. I am glad that is settled,” Luna said, relaxing as she sat back down. “My apologies for being so forceful with you, but anxiety is a rather torturous companion that sometimes requires a bit of force to evict. I hope that the shock has chased it away for now?”

“Y-yeah, I think so,” Trixie said with a sigh as she rested her head on the table, rubbing at her forehead with her hoof. “Dear Celestia I’m a mess.”

“Dear Celestia? Would talking to my sister help you?” Luna replied, glancing around for her.

“No, no, it’s just a phrase.”

“Do ponies say…never mind, it doesn’t matter.”

Luna made a note to see if ponies had begun to use her own name in any kind of phrase. Curiosity, of course.

“In any case, Trixie, now that you seem to have accepted you will not be thrown out, I believe that we have many other things to discuss. You might as well have some tea, for this may take some time,” Luna said, gently pushing the cup she had prepared over towards Trixie.

“What? Oh, yeah, sure. That sounds nice,” Trixie replied, sitting up and shifting to get herself comfortable. “So…should I start talking or you? This isn’t going like my other student-teacher meetings.”

“Well, this is not exactly a normal student-teacher relationship either, is it?”

“Not getting yelled at for setting the stage on fire with fireworks, so it’s already an improvement over my last one.”

“You set the stage on fire?” Luna just shook her head. That felt like a story for another day. “First off, Trixie, I…want to start with an apology.”

Trixie had begun drinking, but for whatever reason the phrase startled her enough to spit back up some of the tea.

“You, apologize? But I – “

Luna began to stand up again, and was quite amused that Trixie had already learned to be quiet when she did so. The mare was a rather fast, if impatient, learner.

“Yes, I want to apologize, Trixie. You see, as much as I loath having to say this, Discord did say something to me that had the glimmer of a point. I believe I might have been coming off as too distant or aloof, which may have given you a false impression of my opinion towards you. In other words, I may have pushed you to feel as if you needed to be extraordinary in order justify your staying here.”

“But I have to be extraordinary! I literally call myself ‘The Great and Powerful Trixie’.” Trixie replied, with appropriate air quotes. “And I mean, look at the other ponies who all got to be apprentices. Twilight blew up part of the castle with magic as a foal! And what do I have? Just cheap magic tricks,” Trixie said, propping her head up on the Ursa Major claw and looked away from Luna. “I know I talk up a big game, but even I know not to try and boast to a princess for too long. It was stupid, but at least chaos magic would have given me an edge…if it didn’t make me look like a total mess”

Luna thought for a moment, tempted to remind her student to not put ponies on a pedestal. The tale of how Twilight had once put a spell on the entire town of Ponyville in an attempt to create a friendship problem seemed appropriate. That, however, didn’t feel like the right answer. There was, however, another story that might appeal to Trixie even more.

“Trixie, are you familiar with the story of the Mare in the Moon?”

Trixie tilted her head back towards the princess. “Uh, yeah, I think everyone knows it now after, well, you know.”

“Please, humor me for a moment and retell it to me,” Luna said. She had faith that Trixie would get the point soon enough.

“Well, there was once a powerful mare who wanted to rule Equestria and plunge it into eternal night. She was defeated by the Elements of Harmony, and then got trapped in the moon. And then it turns out that you were the Mare in the Moon and…oh, I think I know where you’re going with this?”

“Pray tell, where might that be?” Luna said, a slight curve at the edge of her mouth.

“Uhm, that everyone, even somepony like you, can royally screw things up?”

“Well, that’s a bit coarser than I would have put it, yes, that was the point. Do you, however, know why I tried to conquer Equestria?” Luna said. There was a tightness in her chest, the memories of what she had become already starting to creep in, but she needed to face them. For Trixie’s sake.

“I, uh, guess I never actually thought about that. I mean, you don’t seem like the evil ‘conquer the world type’…you didn’t make me your apprentice because you thought I’d help you take over Equestria, did you?”

“No Trixie, that was not why I made you my apprentice,” Luna said. She wanted to feel insulted by that, but it was in a strange way a fair enough question to ask. “But, there is a connection between my reason for doing so and you. As I said when I asked you to be my apprentice, I see a lot of my younger self in you.”

Luna’s horn began to glow as a mist of royal blue colored magical energy fell from her horn and onto the table. Two alicorn-shaped ponies formed out of the mist, one slightly taller than the other Then several more ponies began to form, all centering around the taller of the ponies.

“You see, Trixie, when my sister and I were younger, being in charge of the sun naturally made it easier for her to become the center of attention. She brought warmth, light, energy for crops. The night, however, was seen as the opposite: cold, dark, lifeless, something to be feared and simply slept through.”

The rest of the mist began to fade away, leaving just the one, little alicorn figure all alone.

“As time went on, I became more and more bitter about my role in life. I wanted everything my sister had. The attention, the praise, the recognition. And if ponies wouldn’t give it to me, I was going to take it by force. And so, like you and the Alicorn Amulet, I sought power in dark magics, eventually transforming into the being Nightmare Moon.”

The mist shifted into the form of Nightmare Moon, maniacal laughing included, before engaging in battle with a misty Princess Celestia.

“I battled my sister for control of Equestria, planning on plunging the world into eternal darkness, all for my own selfish desires. So many ponies hurt, none more so than my sister, who had to suffer alone for so many years…”

There was that tightness in her chest again, but she didn’t have time to focus on her own guilt, not now at least. The glow of her horn vanished as she cut off the magic, the battling forms below blowing away into the night.

“The rest, of course, you should already know.”

Luna watched as Trixie simply stared at the table, waiting nervously for a reaction.

“…wow.”

Luna debated whether she appreciated Trixie’s ability to give such a simple reaction to things that had such gravitas.

“Sooo, when you said that I reminded me of a younger you, you didn’t mean in a ‘You’re absolutely amazing’ way and more a ‘I also used dark magic and tried to conquer the world’ kind of way?”

“Yes, that is one way to put it. I recognized that you have the same fears that led me to make such a terrible mistake, and I wanted to help you face them. It seems, however, that I have not done a very good job of it,” she said, looking slightly downwards and away from Trixie. “If you would be willing to let me have another chance at it, I would be happy to continue to be your mentor,” she said, making eye contact once again with Trixie, forcing a gentle smile to hide her own worries.

“Of course I’m not going to leave. How could the Great and Powerful Trixie let having a literal manifestation of my worst nightmares as an arm keep me from being tutored by such a kind and passionate teacher?” Trixie replied. “It’s…it’s my fault for being oversensitive to everything and thinking it a sign you actually really hated me. That, and Discord. In fact, let’s just blame the whole thing on Discord and call it a night.”

A second passed, but before she knew it Luna found herself laughing, Trixie joining her soon after. It was a moment of levity that finally broke the heavy tension that had permeated the air since they had started talking.

“I am partial to that idea, Trixie. Let us consider tonight a fresh start of the mentorship, then, and we shall both strive to be better at our given roles.” Luna said as she caught her breath.

“The Great and Powerful Trixie accepts those terms,” Trixie replied as she calmed down as well.

With them both catching their breath, it was a good chance for Luna to clear her own thoughts and pour another cup of tea.

“With that said, though, there is something I want to say…” Trixie said.

“Yes, Trixie?” Luna said, pouring a cup for herself and Trixie.

“In the spirit of a fresh starts and what not, I kind of just wanted to say, thinking about your story and my story - knowing of course the dark magic stuff was all totally unjustified – I…still think we were kind of right.”

Luna froze for a second. She had misheard that, right?

“Princess? You’re kind of spilling the tea there.”

“W-what? Oh, sorry,” Luna said, moving the teapot away. “I was just…startled, is all. What ever gives you the idea that we were in anyway correct in our actions?”

Luna immediately began to think again, that something she said had sent Trixie down a wrong path somehow, yet another life she had messed up somehow.

“No, no, the conquering world stuff was totally wrong and what not. I meant more like the feelings we had weren’t wrong, at least I don’t think so.”

Luna raised an eyebrow, wondering where this mare was going.

“I mean, just…I don’t know what I’m saying.”

“No, no, it’s fine Trixie. If we’ve learned anything over these last few days, it is that it is best that you express your feelings fully,” Luna replied.

Trixie took a deep breath and steeled herself.

“Look, ponies like Twilight, Celestia, they just seem like they have it all together and just naturally get everyone to love them. And I know that obviously they got problems too and whatever, but, still, it’s hard, you know? Sitting there in your wagon, watching someone else live the life you’d want. Easy for ponies to just go ‘Oh don’t worry about it, you don’t need praise’. I mean, dear Celestia the amount of ‘just do it for the art’ I’ve heard would drive anyone mad. Yeah, easy to say when you got a full house applauding you,” Trixie said, rolling her eyes. “But anyway, point is, it sucks being ignored, and while that doesn’t excuse me throwing Ponyville’s mayor in a bird cage –”

Luna couldn’t help but feel Twilight had left out some rather interesting details about Trixie’s tyrannical reign over Ponyville.

“ – , I think the feelings we had were totally valid. So, uh, that’s all I wanted to say…are you okay, Princess?”

Luna reached up to her muzzle, finding it had somehow gotten wet. Had…had she started crying? Why would she be crying?

“I-I’m fine, Trixie. I think…I think it’s just no one has ever really told me it had been ‘okay’ to feel the way I did,” Luna said, wiping the tears away as she settled down.

“Seriously? Not even Princess Celestia?” Trixie said, walking over to Princess Luna.

Luna thought back to the conversations that she had had with Princess Celestia about what had conspired. She had, of course, apologized for having left her alone, of not being there for her, for not respecting her enough. Yet, at the same time, it had always felt as if it was coming more from Celestia’s guilt, which had only made Luna feel even more guilty for all that had happened. She was not alone, now, but when it came to those long-gone days, she couldn’t say she really had somepony who could really relate to those feelings.

At least, not until now.

“I think, my little apprentice, that when I said you reminded me of my younger self, I hadn’t fully thought of the implications of that,” she said, beginning to open the wing nearest Trixie. “I guess I just never appreciated what it would mean to hear somepony say my feelings were not wrong.”

She leaned over, embracing Trixie with her wing. The showmare took the cue to get closer, leaving the two them cuddled together under the moonlight.

“So…thank you, the Great and Powerful Trixie.”

“No problem, Princess Luna.”

Author's Note

And with that, I have finally hammered out the first arc of the storyline. As I mentioned in a blog post recently, it's a very rough one. If I had to go back and do it again, I'd try and be better about pacing things out so Trixie's anxieties were built up more. I think one area where my history of roleplaying has hurt is - with so many half finished plots and plans and a lot of instability in it - I got very good at planning and imagining moments, but never quite picked up on how to write the actual build up to those moments in a longer piece. Great for one-shots, bad at multi-parters.

So, with that said, I am planning on this one being put on a bit of a pause a bit as I want to try from the start on another story that I've an idea for a while and which the holiday season gives a good excuse to get set up. For more on that, see the blog post here: https://www.fimfiction.net/blog/837115/finishing-the-arc-hearths-warming-story .

To any of the people who've read the whole thing or commented on it at any point, thank you all for reading and I appreciate you sticking it out with all the sporadic updates. At the very least, no matter what happens with my fanfiction writing, at least I got the basic framework of the arc I wanted to tell done with.

And who knows, maybe next time I start a story I might have more than one scene to a chapter!

Dinner Party Invitations

“And that – “Luna let out a large yawn “– concludes our discussion of Starswirl the Bearded’s theories about the nature of the self when using magic to disguise or alter the body.”

The end of the lesson was punctuated with the heavy “thwomp” of Debates and Discussions on the Nature of Magic closing, startling the Sleepy and Not-Paying-Attention Trixie back into a state of semi-consciousness. Helping in this matter was the stream of sunlight that was beginning to flow into the room, blinding her as she tried to turn and look at Luna.

“Uggh, okay, are we done now?” Trixie said with a groan, a hoof raised to block out the light.

While she couldn’t quite see it, she could hear Luna yawn.

“Perhaps I made this lesson a little too long. You do have to admit, though, a debate about what it means to be really ‘you’ when using magic designed to disguise or transform the body was quite the fitting end for your probation.”

Her eyes finally adjusting to the light, Trixie stretched before standing up, one hoof taking a moment to rub her eyes to wake herself up just a bit more.

“Yeah yeah, the choice of appearance can provide insight onto the mind of the user something something. Right now, though, I just want to be the ‘version of Trixie who is fast asleep.’”

“Fair enough, I suppose. I thought it would at least provide some insight into how your draconequus appearance manifested the way it did.”

Luna joined Trixie in stretching and standing, levitating all the various studying supplies back to their appropriate places. The mess cleaned, she began to head towards her bed, a clear sign to Trixie that it was probably time she left. Luna could get rather grumpy once she decided to head to bed.

“But yes, I do think sleep would be a refreshing change of pace. Have a good day, Tri –“

“Oh Luuuluuu, Trixieeeee, I made celebratory pancakes!”

The door to Luna’s chambers slammed open. Napkins and three plates of pancakes stacked high and absolutely drenched in syrup, whipped cream, and fruit made their way to the table that had just a moment ago been covered with books. It was the one levitating the pancakes, however, that provoked in irate series of grumbles from the tired princess, and just a hint of drooling from the just as tired but also quite hungry Trixie.

“Good morning, dear sister. Exactly what are we supposed to be celebrating?”

“Why, your apprentice’s successful recovery from being draconequus-ified!” Princess Celestia said, walking over to the table and taking a seat on one of the cushions.

“This is all for me?” Trixie said, slowly starting to sit back down. She could feel her stomach growling and gurgling, and while the siren call of her bed was strong, the sweet music of the pancakes was even stronger.

“I figured that after a hard night’s lesson that you would like a special treat. Plus – “ Celestia leaned close to Trixie “- I honestly just enjoy having an excuse to make pancakes.”

Celestia laughed as she began to cut into her pancakes. Trixie was about to dig in herself when she noticed that Luna still had not joined them. Glancing back at the bed, she watched as Luna began covered herself with blankets.

“…soooo, you don’t want pancakes, then?” Trixie yelled out, eyeing the potentially available stack.

“I’ll take the fruit, but I would appreciate it if the two of you would take your breakfast elsewhere,” Luna replied, the various strawberries and banana slices levitating off of the pancakes and flying towards the head of the bed before disappearing under the blankets.

“Oh, don’t mind her. She never has been much of a morning pony,” Celestia said, happily continuing to eat her pancakes.

“I am the princess of the night, after all,” Luna yelled back, muffled somewhat by the pillow she had put over her head. “I believe I have the right to disappear at the start of the day.”

Trixie simply remained quiet, happily eating her pancakes as she watched the two sisters’ exchange. Sugar and a show was a good way to reenergize in the morning, after all.

“The day has just barely begun, Lulu. Look, you can still see the moon,” Celestia replied, pointing to the moon still just peaking above the horizon. It swiftly disappeared, however.

“There, it is officially day. Please let Trixie and I get some sleep.”

“Uhm, I’m okay?” Trixie replied, taking another bite of pancake. It was probably best to not get involved, but, eh, grumpy sleepy Luna was too fun to not poke at.

“See, she’s perfectly fine. Now stop being so grouchy and just OOF.”

Trixie had to hold back a laugh, both out of politeness and not wanting to choke on her bite of pancake, as a pillow was launched right into Celestia’s face.

“Alright, alright, your point has been made. Before I go, however, I did have one other matter of important business to address.”

With a glow of her horn, Celestia summoned forth a scroll and levitated it to where Luna hopefully could read it. It was a little hard to tell exactly where she had gone under the massive pile of blankets that now surrounded her.

“Since it has been some time since you attended a Gala, I thought that you might appreciate attending a dinner party that Fancy Pants is hosting as a sort of…practice. He even invited Trixie to come, if she wishes.”

“And Fancy Pants is?” Trixie said, her plate now quite clean of pancakes. She was quite full now, but Luna’s stack of uneaten pancakes was looking awfully lonely…

“He’s another one of the more influential ponies in Canterlot, but he has always been so helpful with organizing many of the events that the Castle hosts. In fact, I think he’s been on the organizing committee of just about everything the Castle hosts,” Celestia replied. “This party is supposedly a ‘pre-Gala’ Gala sort of deal. The unicorns in this city do quite love an excuse to socialize. So many, many parties…”

For a moment Celestia just stared blankly, looking almost a little tired herself, but soon was back into her normal air of elegance. Well, as elegant as one could be first thing in the morning and a dash of whip cream on the muzzle.

“In any case, I figured it would be a good chance for both of you to socialize in a more low-stakes environment. You don’t even need to wear any dresses,” she said, gently nudging the poster closer to the blanket shell encasing Luna. All that came out, however, was a groan.

“Well, I’ll go, at least,” Trixie replied. “I am going to need all the practice I can get if I want to show Blueblood that I can be the best guest that the Grand Galloping Gala has ever seen!”

“That’s the spirit! I think…what’s this about Blueblood? Has he been bothering ponies again?” Celestia said, leaning in towards Trixie. “If he’s really being a problem, don’t hesitate to tell me. I don’t mind having a little talk with him. Again.”

“Pfft, nah, it’s fine. I have it all under control,” Trixie said, casually biting into the pile of pancakes once meant for Luna. “All he did was imply that my attending the Gala was going to be a disaster, so I just need to prove that I can be a more graceful and elegant pony than he is.”

Trixie failed to appreciate the irony that, as she said that, she had not quite swallowed all of her bite, little crumbs flying out as she spoke.

Celestia sighed.

“That is the sort of thing I’ve tried to talk with him about. If you think that you can handle it, however, I’ll sit this one out.”

Celestia turned her attention back towards the bed, wiggling the flyer one last time.

“Last call for dinner party invites. I did say that I would get back to him before noon. Preparing for a royal guest does require a lot of effort.”

A few seconds of rustling and Luna’s head popped out from under the blankets, glaring back at Trixie and Celestia.

“Ugh, fine, tell Fancy Pants that Trixie and I will be attending his dinner party, conditioned on you getting out of my room.”

“Agreed,” Celestia said, and Trixie couldn’t help but notice she had the slightest smirk on her face. She couldn’t see it for long, however, as she found herself wrapped in the yellow glow of the princess’s magic and dragged out. Right before the door closed, however, Trixie was able to grab ahold of the plate of pancakes. It’d be bad to waste food, right?

“Well, that went better than I expected. Normally I would have been pelted with books long before this point,” Celestia said, chuckling. “And I see that you liked the pancakes. I’m glad at least one pony appreciates them.”

Trixie was freed from Celestia’s magical grip, leaving just her and the pancakes.

“Oh, yeah, they’re really good…but did you really need to barge in right away? We kind of were just about to head to bed,” she said, recoiling just a bit at having contradicted Celestia. Sure, she had found herself increasingly comfortable with Luna, but Princess Celestia was a whole different level. Granted, after this morning, the mystique had taken quite a hit.

“If I hadn’t caught her now, I never would have gotten a chance to talk to her till after the dinner party happened. She practically sleeps the day away,” she said, rolling her eyes.

“Uh, well…”

“…right, point taken. Still, even if she doesn’t show it, I know she’s nervous about the Gala. My sister has never really been the social gathering type, and a millennium of social changes likely isn’t helping matters. This dinner party will be a great way to ease her in, instead of just jumping straight right into the deep end. She just needed a little push is all.”

“Riiiight…and was having me go along a part of that push?”

Celestia smiled mischievously.

“Well, perhaps. But, if you want to master the art of socializing, it wouldn’t hurt to attend the party either, right? It’s a win-win for everyone!”

“I guess. Are you going to be there?”

Celestia began to sulk.

“No. Unfortunately I do have a meeting with Blueblood about Gala preparations. He wanted to go over security detail at the last minute, and I’m only just now connecting that with what you said earlier,” she said, sighing. “He is family, but sometimes his obsession with status can make him into a downright pain in the flank.”

“Speaking of which, how exactly are you…”

Before she could finish asking for clarification on just how Blueblood was related to her, a nearby clock’s chimes began to ring.

“Oh, I believe it’s time for me to hold morning court. I’m sorry Trixie, but we can continue our chat another time. Thank you again for eating the pancakes,” Celestia said, breaking out into a trot as she headed towards the main hall, leaving Trixie alone with her half-eaten plate of pancakes, which she quickly pawned off to a nearby guard (who was happy about the extra breakfast) as she headed to her room to finally get some sleep. After all, she had a party to attend to.

It felt absolutely amazing to sleep through the day. Her sister’s earlier intrusion and subsequent pancake-fueled harassment had not thrown off her sleep schedule too much, and having gotten the chance to rest, Luna was actually feeling somewhat excited for this party. Because of her late-shift and dream walking, she rarely got to experience much of the social life of Canterlot. Sure, it was not as much of her thing as Celestia’s, but the occasional soiree could be pleasant enough. Besides, it would be good to meet more ponies outside of the context of their screaming in terror or shaking with anxiety as they faced their nightmares.

Still, she could not say that she wasn’t experiencing her own anxieties. While not having the high stakes of the Gala, even a small dinner party was a potential minefield of social faux pas, and she didn’t know the rules. She could, roughly, relate to ponies in the formal manner of a princess, helping them as a counselor in their dreams, or even serve as a terrifying monster for Nightmare Night. Relating to them at the level of “small talk”, though, was a more difficult challenge. Sure, she doubted anypony would say anything – her station in life afforded her the privilege of ponies not saying anything negative to her face – but she still feared the awkward stares and silence from messing up.

In short, she just really wanted them to like her independent of her being their princess.

Glancing across the open-aired carriage, she had to look on with a bit of envy that Trixie seemed rather relaxed, simply laying on the bench with her eyes closed and humming along to some song playing in her mind. The mare had forsworn her usual hat and cloak, having apparently decided it was perhaps not the most appropriate wear for a, to quote her, ‘fancy schmancy party’.

“…Trixie, do you have a moment?”

Apparently, Trixie was rather engrossed in her song as her words startled the mare.

“Yes?” Trixie said once she regained her sense of place.

“You’ve never attended a function of this kind with ponies of this level of influence, right?”

Trixie paused to think.

“Well, I did go to school dances before, and a lot of them were kids of ponies like Fancy Pants. I’m guessing it’s basically the same thing.”

Luna looked at her apprentice incredulously. Her point of comparison was diplomatic dinners, and from that perspective a dinner party did not seem on par with a school dance. Then again, knowing the clientele of Celestia’s school, perhaps they were on par with this affair.

“Do you…have any advice for how to behave at this type of event?”

Part of her was unsure if this was the best idea – Trixie’s confidence, after all, was not the best measure of her actual competence at the task at hoof, no matter how admirable a trait it could be at times – but it would at least give her some things to think about.

“You want advice from me on relating to the rich and powerful?”

Apparently even Trixie had a hard time believing it. However, she kept a confident smile as she continued to lay comfortably on the carriage bench.

“Well, first, in my experience these type of ponies tend to like the sound of their own talking more than anyone else’s. Just nodding along and agreeing with what they say usually goes a long way,” Trixie said, waving a hoof nonchalantly. “Second, flattery will usually get you everywhere. And third, if there’s a lull, just, like, mention you were planning to go golfing or out on the yacht or something this weekend.”

“I mean, she’s not wrong,” a third voice popped in, bringing Luna’s attention to the front of the carriage where Star Breaker and another guard were busy pulling the carriage.

“Did you want to offer some advice as well, Private Breaker?”

“Well, I mean, I’ve only met the guy a few times, but Fancy Pants probably would be fine if you were just yourself. Sure, he kind of talks about us lower-income ponies a bit like we’re an exhibit, but he doesn’t seem like that bad of a guy. You’ve talked with him, right Shiner? How’d he come off to yah?”

Luna looked over at Breaker’s companion, a newer recruit to the Night Guard by the name of Moon Shiner. Despite what the name suggested, his talent was in boxing, and he even apparently thought of going pro before becoming a guard.

“Uhm, yeah, I met him once when I was looking for a sponsor. Like you said, he seemed nice enough. Even asked to go a round in the ring sometime for fun.”

Star Breaker looked back at Luna.

“See, the guy asked to get punched in the face, basically. I’m sure you’ll be fine. Just relax and be yourself, Princess…and maybe laugh at a couple of his jokes even if they aren’t funny.”

“Of course, at the end of the day, you are a princess,” Trixie added, lazily pointing a hoof at Luna. “I’m sure you could get drunk and wear a lampshade on your head and they’ll still like you.”

“Personal experience, Trixie?” Star Breaker replied.

“No, not this time,” Trixie snapped back.

Luna giggled for a moment, but she didn’t feel it worth informing Trixie that it was that last bit of advice that worried her. Still, the advice overall had made her feel much better about tonight. At the very least, she had enough confidence that Trixie was probably just as unsure of what to do as she was but simply had the confidence to act like she did. There was a sense of solidarity to be had there, and perhaps she should emulate that confidence, just a little.

“We have arrived at your destination, Princess Luna and apprentice,” Star Breaker announced as the carriage came to a stop in front of a rather ornate looking building.

“Kind of expected his mansion to be bigger?” Trixie said as she made her way out of the carriage.

“It’s a country club, Trixie. That’s the club, and in the back is the ‘country’ aka a very fancy garden,” Star Breaker replied.

“In any case, I’m sure it will be a lovely evening,” Luna said, following after her apprentice. “You are dismissed for now, Private Breaker and Shiner.”

“Yes, your highness,” the two bat ponies replied, giving a brief salute before heading off to park the carriage with the other fancy carriages and then…well, she wasn’t sure what the two did with their evenings off.

“So, are you ready, Trixie?” Luna asked as the two lined up at the end of the entrance.

“If anything, I am the one who should be worried about being ready, Princess Luna. After all, it is so rare that I have the honor of hosting you or your sister at one of my parties.”

The two mares turned towards the doors, which had just been opened by a pair of unicorns who were now bowing: one a stallion in a tuxedo and monocle, the other a mare whose hair reminded Luna somewhat of Celestia’s from when they were younger. Luna waited for them to rise before offering a response.

“Yes well, the duties of the night can be very demanding. It is my pleasure to be here, however. as my sister informs me you throw some of the best parties in Canterlot,” Luna said, giving a nice, teeth-showing smile. This was a good first impression, right?

“Did she now?” Fancy Pants replied, and Luna couldn’t help but notice his more formal smile soften and widen just a little. “I must send her my regards for such a compliment, and I hope this evening will be above your expectations as well. May I ask who this is that is accompanying you this evening, Princess Luna?”

“Oh, yes, this is my apprentice, Trixie Lulamoon,” Luna said, standing to the side and motioning towards the mare with a hoof. She watched as Trixie took a step forward and gave a little bow herself.

“A pleasure to meet you, Fancy Pants. I am ever so honored that you invited me to this evening’s soiree,” Trixie said, though Luna couldn’t help but notice she had put on a bit of an accent to try and match Fancy Pants’s own voice.

“Why of course, my dear. I could not in good conscience not invite a pony who the Princesses themselves deemed so important. Speaking of important ponies, I don’t believe the two of you have had the chance to meet one of the most important ponies in my own life,” he said, stepping aside to allow the pink-haired mare to speak.

“Fleur de Lis, your Majesty,” she said, bowing once again.

“A pleasure, Miss Fleur. I did not realize that you were married, Fancy Pants,” Luna said. She was surprised when the two unicorn’s eyes widened and quickly looked away from each other. Fancy Pants in particular seemed to be particularly put off.

“Yes, well, it is a common mistake to be sure, your highness, but Miss Fleur and I are not exactly married,” he replied.

“O-oh my, I’m so sorry, I had simply assumed based on how you just talked about her that was the case,” Luna stammered out, her own face joining the two in blushing.

“It is quite alright, your highness. As he said, it is a common mistake many ponies make,” Fleur said. “Though, it is one that would be quite easy to fix, too,” she added, though she was looking away and mumbling as if she was trying to hide it, but poorly.

“A-anyway, why don’t we all head inside and enjoy the party,” Fancy Pants said, obviously wanting to change the subject as quickly as possible.

“Yes, of course. Just, lead the way,” Luna said, putting on a forced smile. She let the two hosts get a bit of a distance, watching as they began to silently bicker with one another, before leaning over towards Trixie and whispering, “How did that go?” as they walked along.

Trixie waved a hoof back and forth.

“It went…okay. Good start, but apparently marriage is a no-go topic for those two. But don’t worry, you’re doing great” Trixie whispered back.

Luna wished she had her apprentice’s confidence, but the night was just getting started, and there were plenty of other conversations to be had. She just hoped that they would go a lot better than that one had.

Dinner Party - Part 1

The doors to the country club’s “country” part opened, revealing a small oasis of grass, trees, and water among the bustling streets of downtown Canterlot. Luna could see that plenty of ponies were already mingling about: some gathering around a gazebo, others enjoying the buffet, and a few even dancing to the music. Her arrival, however, brought all of that to stop as everypony turned to greet her with a bow. Luna returned their affections with a wave.

“Greetings, everypony. It will be a pleasure to meet with you all this evening. Please, do not let my presence distract you from enjoying the fine party that Fancy Pants and Fleur de Lis have organized. For the rest of the evening, simply treat me like any other pony.”

Every pony simple stamped their hooves in applause as Luna put down her own hoof and keeping a nice, wide smile. Trixie meanwhile, rolled her eyes, mumbling a “They totally aren’t going to.” Luna knew that Trixie was probably right, but she had wanted to make her preference clear.

“I would like to thank you again for attending, your majesty. I must apologize for having to leave so soon, however, for I must attend to the other guests. Please, enjoy the buffet and mingle with the other guests for a bit,” Fancy Pants said, starting to bow again. Luna appreciated it, though, when he stopped and said “Right, just like everypony else. Shall we, Fleur?”

The pink-haired mare turned with a bit of a huff. “I think I might be a bit more…independent, this evening,” she said, walking off in a different direction. Fancy Pants sighed, gave one last smile to Luna, and made his way into the crowd.

“I do hope I haven’t ruined their night?” Luna said, raising a hoof to her mouth with worry.

“Relax, I’m sure they’ll be fine. They wouldn’t want to ruin their own party with a fight, right?” Trixie replied.

Luna did not quite share her apprentice’s confidence, but she supposed it made sense that ponies concerned with status and social climbing would be not want to cause a disturbance at their own event.

“Still, I should probably talk with them again later and try and help them work it out…”

She felt a poke in her side from Trixie’s hoof.

“Hey, you’re here as party-guest Luna, not dream-counselor-therapist Luna. I’m sure they’ll work it out themselves. After all, she’s the most important pony in his life, remember. I doubt one little fight ruins that.”

“You’re…right, I guess. I’m just going to go out there, enjoy some food, do the ‘small talk’, and have fun,” Luna said, eyeing over the crowd, most of whom were now back to whatever they were doing before, though some were eyeing her cautiously. “Yes, just, go out there and talk…what about you Trixie, what are you planning to do?”

“Hmm? Oh, uh, I guess I’ll basically do the same as you,” Trixie replied.

Though it had sounded like the two had figured out a plan of attack, the two continued to stand at the entrance for several seconds.

“Trixie, you don’t have to remain by my side the entire time,” Luna said, breaking the awkward silence as she bent down to whisper to her apprentice.

“I know that. I just, you know, wanted to make sure you were okay. But, if you’re really sure, I’ll just, uh, go over to the buffet and grab some salad.”

As Trixie wandered off – slowly, at first, but eventually the metaphorical cord broke and she was gone – Luna had to smile. Trixie was obviously as nervous about this as her and was trying to help in her own ‘Trixie’ way. Now, however, they were both on their own.

…

How wrong was it to wish a crisis broke out right this minute?

Having separated from Luna, Trixie found herself alone next to the buffet. There was a lot of salads, fruits, hoof sandwiches, and other stuff that she wasn’t sure what they were but she figured were probably expensive. Not quite her preferred fare, but it would do. There was punch, however, and she could appreciate a good punch. Plus, there were several different kinds! She was in the middle of sipping a glass of cherry punch when she found herself joined by a white unicorn with the absolute shiniest purple mane she had seen (well, other than Luna’s, but that was more ethereal than shiny really).

“Why, Trixie darling, it has been ages, hasn’t it?”

Trixie blinked as she looked over the unicorn.

“Uhhh, do I kno-oooooh.”

Trixie grimaced as she recalled who this pony was. This was Rarity, the one whose mane she turned into a green rat’s nest when she first came to Ponyville and then later forced to sew banners while under the influence of the Alicorn Amulet.

“You’re Rarity, right?” Trixie said, glancing over the mare’s face, looking for a sign of a reaction, perhaps a sign she was in fact wrong and this was totally somepony else. That obviously wasn’t the case, though, and apparently, she had quite the poker face, simply looking back with a polite smile.

“Correct,” Rarity replied daintily taking a sip of her own punch. “There’s no need to look so nervous around me, by the way.”

“I, Trixie, nervous? Whatever would have given you that idea,” Trixie said, quickly taking a deep gulp of punch in hopes the glass would hide her face.

“You don’t exactly hide your emotions well.”

Having finished the last of her punch, there was no more excuse to stop talking. Trixie sighed, rubbing at her foreleg anxiously. For once, though, she didn’t look away, instead keeping her eyes right on Rarity as she talked. She was going to need to do a lot of this apology thing, so she might as well work on getting it right.

“I’m sorry for everything I put you through, both times I was in Ponyville. I wasn’t exactly myself the second time, but that’s no excuse for turning your mane into a rat’s nest. I’m trying a lot harder now, though, but I would understand if you didn’t want to forgive me.”

Trixie looked away, ready to hear that she wasn’t forgiven, but instead what she got was Rarity’s hoof on her shoulder as the mare laughed.

“Darling, worse things have happened to my mane than your magic,” Rarity said. “But, more importantly, Twilight told us said you were quite apologetic after what happened with the Amulet, and you’ve been working quite hard to better yourself. If Twilight and Luna can give you a second chance, then it would be rather ungenerous of me to not give you one as well.”

Forgiveness was starting to feel pretty good to Trixie, and for a brief moment she smiled. Once she fully processed what Rarity said, however, she cocked her head, confused.

“Wait, how does Twilight know what I’ve been up to? I’ve not seen her in ages.”

“Oops!” Rarity said, covering her mouth in surprise. “I wasn’t supposed to say anything. But, well, now that the cat’s out of the bag, I doubt there’s really any harm. It’s pretty standard rumor mill, really. Princess Luna talks with Princess Celestia, who writes letters to Twilight, who then talks with the rest of us,” Rarity said, flashing Trixie a nervous smile.

“And how much information did Princess Celestia put in her letters?” Trixie said, eyebrow raised.

“O-oh, well, nothing too in detail, really,” Rarity said, looking away. Trixie, however, couldn’t help but notice that Rarity was leaning a little, as if she was trying to look at Trixie’s tail. For a second she wondered what could possibly be so interesting about it, and then she remembered.

“If you’re looking to see if I still have a rabbit’s tail, that turned back to normal last week,” Trixie said in a deadpan voice.

“Sorry, I was just curious,” Rarity said, a small blush appearing at her cheeks. “I apologize, though. I’m sure that was quite the embarrassing situation to be in. Before you blame Twilight or the Princesses, though, I can assure you they had planned on not speaking about it at all to anyone. Discord, on the other hand…”

“…yeah, I should have figured as much,” Trixie said, rolling her eyes. As annoying as that was, however, she did appreciate that they had at least tried to not leak what happened out. “You all haven’t told anyone, right?”

“Oh heavens no, darling, we wouldn’t dream of it,” Rarity replied, almost like she was shocked that Trixie had considered the thought. “Perhaps it wasn’t your finest moment, but having fallen for Discord’s magic ourselves, none of us blame you for feeling tempted. He is rather skilled at playing with your weaknesses and anxieties. But if there’s any creature who should know better than to take advantage of somepony trying to change it’s him,” Rarity said, her tone somewhat angry at the end, but then she smiled. “Fluttershy was absolutely livid with him, though. I have never seen her give someone such an intense stare before, and she banned him from her weekly animal tea parties for a month.”

“Oh, gee, no tea parties for a month. How painful a punishment,” Trixie said, still quite deadpan. “I had to scrub the kitchen floors.”

“Yes, well, Fluttershy’s opinion means the world to Discord, so much so that even a mild scorning is enough to make him feel quite guilty…probably. It’s hard to get a read on him, really. But enough about that, I have something more exciting to talk about!”

This was the first time Trixie realized that Rarity had been standing there with a small canvas bag, from which a large notebook floated out.

“I was planning on coming by the castle tomorrow, but since you’re here I might as well show you now,” Rarity said, flipping through the notebook. “It was a bit of a rush job, but once I received Princess Luna’s request to design a dress for you I obviously couldn’t turn it down.”

“Because you were making it for me, or because you were making it for the Princess’s apprentice?”

“Well, to be honest, a little bit of both. It is great advertising for me to have a Princess’s apprentice wearing one of my dresses,” Rarity said, the pages finally stopping in the middle of the notebook. “But, I do really hope working together on this can be a way to move on from the past and, perhaps, be friends?”

Trixie was surprised to hear that Rarity was wanting to be her friend, even after all that had happened. And sure, at least a little of that had to be because of her new station – after all, even Rarity had acknowledged it was a good business opportunity. In this case, however, she could live with the idea that it was simply the case her new position had simply opened up an opportunity that she had never considered before.

“As a fellow artist,” Trixie said, touching her hoof to her own chest. “I fully understand the importance of advertising, so I don’t blame you at all for taking advantage of the situation…and I would also like to be your friend, if you really don’t mind,” Trixie said as she put her hoof back down. “Sooo, what did you design for me, friend?” she said, leaning in as Rarity smiled.

“Oh, I’m glad you asked. Because of the timing I couldn’t quite do something original, but since Princess Luna sadly cancelled her own design and you two have a similar enough aesthetic, I used my sketches for her as a base…”

Now that Trixie was firmly entrenched in conversation with Rarity, Luna finally began to walk around the crowd, ears swiveling as she kept an ear out for a conversation to enter into. As she approached the lakeside, two unicorns in polos and sweaters tied around their necks were chatting with a larger-built Earth pony stallion wearing a tie with a bits sign on it.

“Look, all I’m saying is I heard you were building a new line of airships, and I can get you discount on building materials. After all, my store ain’t called Barnyard Bargains for nothing.”

The two unicorns seemed quite unimpressed.

“Thank you for the offer, Mr. Rich. We’ll keep in touch,” the unicorn stallion replied. The response apparently was enough to satisfy the other stallion, however, who thanked him before running off.

“Did you say that you built airships?” Luna asked, figuring that was as good as any reason to get involved. Trixie did say they liked talking about yachts. Airships were like that, right?

“Of course we…I mean, good evening, your majesty”

Before the two could bow, however, Luna raised a hoof.

“There’s no need for such formalities. Tonight, I am simply another pony, one who in this case is interested in airships.”

The two looked at each other for a second and stood up straight.

“Right, of course. Anyway, I am Jet Set,” the stallion said, motioning at himself.

“And I’m Upper Crust,” the mare said, making a similar motion.

“We happen to own the largest producer of luxury airships in Canterlot. Mr. Rich over there was offering to strike a deal for providing material,” Jet Set continued, though Luna noted he seemed quite disinterested in the idea.

“Well, if he is offering the best material for cheap, I see no reason why not to make the deal,” Luna replied. Not the way she wanted to start this conversation, but it would work.

However, Upper Crust let out a small snort, though she immediately looked apologetic.

“Sorry, allergies,” she said. “In any case, while I’m sure Mr. Rich’s products are appropriate for…other ponies, they are unlikely to meet the high-quality standards required for our clientele.”

Luna raised an eyebrow, not liking quite how she had sad ‘other ponies’. Still, if it was an issue of quality, she also couldn’t fault them for not taking up the offer.

“If it’s a quality issue, then I suppose it makes sense to look elsewhere,” she replied.

“Indeed. Do you have an interest in airships, your…I mean, Luna?” Upper Crust said.

Luna perked up at the question.

“I do, in fact! They didn’t exist back when my sister and I first began to rule Equestria, and I have been most intrigued by them. A contraption that would allow non-pegasi to experience flight without spells is absolutely wonderful!”

She glanced between the two, who had all of a sudden become quite happy. Perhaps Trixie’s advice was spot on?

“Well, perhaps we can arrange a meeting for you to browse our collection of products? It would be an absolute honor for us for you to purchase one of our products,” Upper Crust said, levitating out a business card towards Luna.

“That sounds like a delightful time,” she said, taking the card in her own magic before realizing she didn’t have anywhere to put it. She just let it awkwardly levitate next to her as they talked. “Do you make other vehicles?”

Jet Set nodded.

“Airships, carriages, chariots, boats. We work to provide the highest quality vehicles for all your needs.”

“Oh, I may have to recommend your company to my sister then. She was just talking about needing to get new chariots for the guard.”

Luna was quite puzzled by the two unicorn’s eyes growing wide. Did she say something offensive? Before she could ask, however, her ear twitched, picking up a high-pitched squeal. A bat, perhaps? It sounded rather close, though, and she didn’t see any hanging on the tree branches.

“We would love to provide the guard with new chariots, and perhaps boats as well? In fact, have you ever considered the potential benefits of an airship for the guard…your majesty?”

The squeal was getting quite loud, though the lack of reaction from the other two suggested it was at a frequency the average pony couldn’t hear. It was distracting enough, however, that she had to go look for it.

“Please excuse me for a moment,” Luna said, walking off. Her attention divided, the business card simply dropped to the ground.

Standing place, she focused on finding where the sound was coming from. Admittedly, she probably looked rather silly standing in place and spinning around, but if a bat had injured itself or gotten lost, she couldn’t just sit around and do nothing, right?

After a few seconds she pinpointed the source to be a nearby bush located right next to a bench. She glanced back over at the two unicorns, who were very politely trying to hide their concern.

“My apologies, but it sounds like there’s a bat or some kind of creature possibly in distress. Perhaps we can talk later once I have assisted it?”

Both ponies looked rather off-put by the mention of a bat.

“Why, uhm, of course, your majesty,” Upper Crust said before the two slowly beginning to walk away.

Luna sighed, already counting that as a bit of a loss, but there wasn’t time to dwell on it. As she approached the bush, however, the squeal stopped, and with a bit of rustling a familiar looking bat-pony’s head peeked out.

“Star Breaker, what are you doing here?” Luna said, crouching next to the bush and whispering.

“What, do you think we go off and party when you ‘dismiss us’? Protocol says we got to be near you at all times. Fortunately, covert ops are what the Night Guard is all about. In fact, Shiner’s hiding under the buffet keeping an eye on Trixie as we speak. Lucky guy. Bush duty is a pain in the flank.”

Honestly, this didn’t surprise her at all, and she suspected her sister potentially had a role in this.

“So, why did you alert me? Has some crisis befallen Equestria? Do we need to leave the party immediately?” Luna said, perhaps just a bit too hopeful

Star Breaker shook her head.

“No, no emergency…buuut I did want to let you know that what you just said kind of counts as insider trading.”

“…what?”

“I mean, that’s the white collar crimes divisions jurisdiction so I’m not really on the up and up about it, but I do know that Princess Celestia at makes a point to not talk about things that the castle wants to buy ‘in the name of Equestria’ at these kind of parties. Something about unfair business practices or something.”

The gears twirled in Luna’s head, and after a moment she placed a hoof to her face.

“That’s why they were so excited about my interest in ships.”

“Yeah, probably. Sorry, your majesty. I mean, you gave out the info so it probably doesn’t really count cause, you know, princess, but I thought you’d want to know for future reference.”

Luna sighed, but gave Star Breaker a smile.

“No, it’s fine. Thank you for letting me know.”

“No problem, your majesty. That’s what we guards are here for…also, if you get the chance, could you bring me some of that fruit? I’m starting to get pretty hungry.”

“Of course, Private Breaker.”

With that Star Breaker hid back into your bush, leaving Luna once again alone to face the party. She wondered for a moment if anypony had seen her talking to the bush.

“Finding the plants to be the more interesting conversation partners, your majesty?”

Luna froze for a second, embarrassed by what the pony had to have thought of her. Turning around, however, she found herself facing Fleur. The mare had taken advantage of Luna’s attention being divided to sneakily take a seat on the bench, though there was obviously still enough room for her to take a seat.

“It, uh, helps them grow better. To talk to them, that is,” Luna said, taking.

“Oh, is that so? I may have to remember that for my own garden,” Fleur replied.

“You garden?” Luna asked, seeing an opening for what would hopefully be a conversation that didn’t involve breaking the law.

“A little. Enough ponies mistook my name as ‘Flower de lis’ that I decided to give it a try. Mostly just flowers, but it is a delightful enough hobby.”

Luna nodded.

“I have a flower garden on my windowsill at the castle. The groundskeepers take care of most of the gardening on the castle grounds, but it feels good to have that one spot for my own.”

“Indeed. Though, I do have to be careful about exposing myself to too much sun. Can be bad for the skin and coat,” Fleur replied.

“Yes, sunburn is quite an annoying condition,” Luna said, and she could imagine that somewhere, Celestia was probably feeling quite attacked. Sadly, such things where beyond her sister’s control.

Fleur, however, shook her head.

“Non-non, that is not quite it. It is more the sun damage that is of concern to me. You see, I am a model, so my looks are quite important to my profession. In fact, once your apprentice has stopped monopolizing her time, I’m supposed to meet with Rarity about modeling some of her designs,” Fleur said, pointing over at Trixie and Rarity talking.

“Oh, modeling!” Luna said, digging through her memories. “I am aware that the fashion industry as a whole has grown quite a bit, but I am sorry to say I don’t know much about modelling. It was not exactly a real profession in the past.”

Fleur nodded.

“Yes, I suppose that outside of paintings and sculptures there wasn’t much for a model to do. Nowadays, however, fashion designers are essentially artists, and clothes are best shown when worn by somepony, no?”

“I never really thought about it like that,” Luna replied. “I know many ponies take fashion quite seriously, but had not thought to consider the relationship between designer model to be the same as the one between an artist and their canvas.”

Glancing over, Luna was glad to see Fleur nodding approvingly.

“Mmm, perhaps more that I am the frame by which the art is shown, but more or less correct. Many ponies look at the industry and think it frivolous, even here in Canterlot, but it is nice to hear that a princess understands as well. Perhaps you would like to attend my next show?”

“I would love to…you’re not trying to sell anything though, right? I was just recently lectured by my guards for discussing business dealings,” Luna replied.

Fleur laughed. “No, no, I would never use such crude methods for business, your majesty. I simply would appreciate your company. And, if it would ease your consciences, we shall avoid any mention of your attendance and sit you backstage where nopony would see you.”

“I believe that’s acceptable,” Luna replied, laughing as well.

As pleasant as the conversation was going, however, her conscience was still nagging her about earlier. Even if Trixie had suggested it wasn’t the best idea, it wouldn’t hurt to talk just a little, right?

“I apologize for my earlier comments, by the way,” Luna said, seeing a chance to at least offer that much. “If you would like, I can provide counsel to you and Fancy Pants once this evening is done?”

Fleur blinked, and then laughed.

“I appreciate the offer, your majesty, but tis nothing for you to worry about. True, it has become a bit of a touchy subject for me, but it is also a game the two of us have been playing for a while now. Trust me, the tabloids have said much worse than you, and we survived.”

That helped to take at least some of the pressure off of her night. Still, she needed a way to transition away, just in case she said something else, and her mind jumped to another of Trixie’s words of advice: flattery.

“I am glad to hear that everything is fine. It would have been his lost, as I’m sure a pony of your appearance would have easily found somepony else,” Luna said, smiling. Sure, appearance was not her usual choice of flattery, but Fleur was a model, right? It was obviously important to her so suggesting it was a good appearance would be an appropriate piece of flattery.

“Oh, and what is it you mean by that, your majesty?” Fleur said, leaning a foreleg on the arm of the bench, smiling at her mischievously.

“W-well, all I mean is that, as to my understanding of modern beauty standards, you are an attractive pony and, therefore, would likely have no trouble attracting the attention of any other pony,” Luna replied.

“Modern beauty standards, hmm? And what of the standards of an alicorn?”

Luna glanced at the bush, really wishing Star Breaker could help with this without breaking her cover. Trixie, meanwhile, was still talking with Rarity. She was alone.

“U-uh, well, you see, I never really thought about such things,” Luna said, blushing as Fleur waited for an answer. “And, well, appearance wise you aren’t that different from how my sister looked when we were younger, so it would be kind of weird for me to make any judgement.”

Luna mentally began to kick herself for that. It was the weirdest sentence she could recall ever saying, and it just had to make her seem rather weird as well. Fleur, however, began to laugh.

“Je sus vraiment désolé, your majesty. I was simply teasing you, but I never meant to put you on quite the spot,” Fleur said as she calmed down. “I am flattered, however, to remind you of your sister, and it is in that context I can understand your hesitance to think of me in any way that is unbecoming.”

Fleur’s expression, however, turned more wistful as she continued to talk.

“Still, you do have some point, though I do wish to note it is I who am quite lucky. Referring to what I said earlier, many ponies see no real value in fashion, except perhaps what status they might obtain from it. It is even worse for us models, in a way. As often as we may be wooed by stallions and mares alike, most do so purely to claim to have won over a model. Alas, tis the curse of being at the top to always wonder about the sincerity of others.”

To that statement Luna could feel quite a sympathy for.

“But, though he is not quite above the games of society as he might act, Fancy Pants truly does throw his passion into understanding what pursuit catches his fancy. While you may have to dance around his words just a little, you can always be sure he is dealing with you sincerely.”

With that, Fleur began to make her way off the bench, throwing one last mischievous smile at Luna.

“Anyways, enough serious talk for one evening. I think it best to take my leave before I feel tempted to tease you even more, your majesty. It was a pleasure to talk with you.”

“The pleasure was all mine, Fleur.”

With Fleur’s departure, Luna was left to finally just bury her muzzle in her hooves to groan, working out that anxious energy that had built up from these last few moments. While she was glad that her earlier comments had not damaged the relationship between Fleur and Fancy Pants, she still couldn’t help but feel embarrassed about her flustering.

“Uggh, now I feel really guilty about having ogled her all night,” Star Breaker mumbled from the bushes, causing Luna give a disapproving glare at the bat-pony.

“Sorry, totally inappropriate. But hey, I think that worked out pretty great. So that’s, what, 1-1 so far? At least now you’re on the scoreboard, right?” Star Breaker said, giving Luna a grin wide enough to show off her fangs.

Luna simply sighed, but she did have to give a smile.

“Hopefully I’ll be hitting home-runs the rest of the night,” Luna said, stepping off of the bench.

“Hey, you got the metaphor right. See, you’re already make loads of progress! Go get ‘em, sport! Er, your majesty.”

As Star Breaker dove back into the bush, Luna just had a small laugh. The guard’s encouragement was helpful, and hopefully her confidence would not be in vain.

Dinner Party - Part 2

At first her conversation with Rarity had been going quite well, but after a while Trixie found her mind drifting as the mare went on and on about the dresses. While she was all for thinking about your outfit for a show, the amount of detail Rarity had put into it was beyond her, and so it wasn’t long before she had gone into auto-pilot, the occasional nods and noises the only signal she was paying attention at all. Unlike Luna, who usually caught onto it pretty quickly, Rarity hadn’t noticed it by the time another white-coated mare arrived.

“Trixie, dear, you don’t mind if I steal away Miss Rarity, do you?” Fleur said, setting a hoof on Rarity’s shoulder, eliciting a small but dignified “Eep!” from her.

“Fleur darling, I’m so sorry. I was showing Trixie here my designs for her Gala dress and the time completely slipped from me,” Rarity replied. She had started to put the sketchbook away, but Fleur took a hold of it with her own magic and began to flip through it.

“Hmm, not bad at all, Rarity. You’re quite the lucky mare, Trixie, to have such a skilled designer creating your dress,” Fleur said as she returned the sketchbook.

“Oh, uh, right,” Trixie said as she regained her sense of the conversation. “Yes, thank you again for making my dress. It will be the grand jewel of my plan to show-up that Prince Blueblood,” she said with the hint of a mischievous smirk.

“Wait, is that what you plan on doing at the Gala?” Rarity replied, brow furrowed.

“Your very first Gala and you’re already aiming for the top of the social ladder? My, you’re the ambitious one,” Fleur added. Trixie was not sure what to make of the smile she gave as she said it, but it definitely suggested she approved of the plan.

“Well, yeah. I was in the castle kitchen the other night when he came by, and when he saw me he started talking about needing to deal with ‘complications’ and that if I ruined this for him he was going to make my time in Canterlot an ‘unpleasant experience.’”

“That sounds like him alright,” Rarity said, rolling her eyes.

“Indeed. Ever since he was put in charge of this Gala he has become quite the little tyrant. Of course, considering what happened the last time he attended, I am somewhat sympathetic,” Fleur said, giggling as she looked over at Rarity.

“Why, what happened?” Trixie said, confused.

“You see, Trixie, last time I went to the Gala I had gone with the expectation of wooing Prince Blueblood in hopes of getting the fairy tale romance of my dreams,” Rarity said, sighing wistfully before her expression turned sour. “Unfortunately, turns out he was a selfish, self-centered oaf who literally threw me in front of him so I’d take a cake to the face instead of him. It was the worst night in my entire life.”

“After that night, his reputation was sunk, and he’s been clawing his way back up ever since. It doesn’t surprise me he has become so obsessed with the perfect Gala,” Fleur added. “Granted, throwing an exquisite party does go a long way here, but an improvement in attitude would be much preferred.”

“Yeah, well, not much I can do about that,” Trixie replied. “But what I can do is make him eat his words. I, Trixie, will be the greatest guest that the Gala has ever seen,” Trixie said, again proudly motioning towards herself.

“Hmmm, I would probably start with not saying things like ‘make him eat his words,’” Rarity replied. “Still, though I sadly cannot be your guest as I was not invited this year for reasons completely unknown to me, –” Trixie noticed Rarity smiling proudly as she said that “– if you want to be the ‘best guest ever’, I would be happy to help you prepare for the Gala and help you refine your social etiquette.”

“Thanks, that would be great!” Trixie said, though she had thought her social etiquette was quite good. “And you really don’t mind helping a revenge plot while being, you know, one of the Elements of Harmony?”

Rarity laughed. “Revenge? No, I’m simply generously donating my time to help a friend learn the fine art of high society,” she said, giving Trixie a wink.

“Yes, that sounds like perfect Element of Generosity behavior,” Fleur said, giggling. “I wish you luck in your quest, Trixie,” she continued, starting to turn away to leave. “Your presence alone suggests that this year’s Gala will be quite entertaining, so please don’t disappoint.”

“I can promise you that by the time we’re done, you will be the belle of the ball,” Rarity said, joining Fleur in leaving. “Enjoy the rest of your evening, Trixie! I’ll be at the castle tomorrow to take your measurements.”

With that Trixie was once again left to her own devices. Levitating over a hoof-sandwich, she idly munched as she looked over the party to figure out what to do next, not quite sure how to do a proper approach in this setting. Luna, meanwhile, looked like she was doing okay, off chatting with…well, Trixie didn’t know who they were, but she was chatting with them. In fact, from the looks of things just about everypony was in engaged in conversation with somepony else. That meant no random loners to just saddle up to and start chatting.

Welp, time to be more aggressive! She wasn’t going to be the awkward loser standing at the punch bowl at the party all night. Not this time, at least.

Figuring there was no better reason to force herself into a conversation, she aimed her sights at the nearest pair of ponies to her. Her ears twitched as she approached, sensing that whatever it was that they were talking about.

“Yes, it appears that she might not be in the most right of mind,” the stallion said.

“Right? All that just over a little bat? It’s just a bat!”

Well, whatever that was about, it didn’t sound important at all, so Trixie had no guilt interrupting them, though she did give a small cough to alert them to her presence before speaking.

“This has been a most splendid party so far, hasn’t it?” Trixie said, again slipping into a bit of a more “high Canterlot” accent to match the two. She had to smile when they looked surprised at her intrusion. They apparently knew the stakes that came with talking with her, the apprentice.

“Oh, why yes, it has been a lovely evening. I don’t believe we’ve had the pleasure to meet you before, our dear Princess’s apprentice,” the stallion said, holding out a hoof. “I’m Jet Set, and this is my wife Upper Crust.”

“Yes, we were so looking forward to talking with you this evening,” the mare added.

Trixie shook Jet Set’s hoof as she introduced herself.

“Oh no, the pleasure is all mine. You can call me Trixie,” she said. A moment of silence passed as she realized she didn’t know how to follow up with that. Fortunately, the other two knew something to talk about.

“Say, you wouldn’t happen to be a fan of airships, would you?” Jet Set replied.

Trixie, of course, had never actually been on one. She had seen them, though, so that had to count for something.

“Why of course I am. Who wouldn’t be? Why, I remember when I was younger my family and I would spend the weekends going to parties on them. Haven’t had the chance to ride on ever since I struck out on my own, though.”

“Your family used to party on them all the time?” Jet said, looking at her with a bit of suspicion. “What did you say was your full name again?”

Oh shoot, this was not good. Still, she could spin her way out of this, no problem.

“Trixie Lulamoon, of the Lulamoons. We’re kind of a small family, keep to ourselves outside the occasional social event. Wouldn’t surprise me if the name didn’t ring a bell.”

She gave the two a smile, hoping that would be enough to convince them to move on.

“Oh, right, the Lulamoons. I vaguely recall that name somewhere. Perhaps they had been to a party or two of ours,” Jet Set replied, though him rubbing his chin suggested he was still quite confused.

If they had any kids that had attended magic school when she went, chances were they might have known her from that. But since fully remembering that would blow her little story right out of the water, it was probably best to get them to move on.

“Anyway, if the two of you have an airship, I would love to visit sometime, rekindle those childhood memories and all,” she said, glancing between the two.

“Well, we had just talked with Princess Luna earlier about providing various vehicles for the guard. Perhaps after a tour of our facilities you’d be able to give the princess a more informed opinion of what we can provide?”

Trixie had been in the travelling performer game long enough to know this kind of stunt. This being Canterlot high society, though, she was totally aware this was normal, but she probably would get in trouble with Luna if she made any promises about that kind of stuff without her.

“Hmm, I can see if I can fit it into my busy schedule. As Luna’s apprentice I have a lot of important duties to attend to. Plus, we’re usually up all night and sleep during the day, which might make it a bit difficult to do anything really,” Trixie said. “I think we can try and arrange something, though.”

There, a non-committed commitment! Smooth. She watched the two ponies look at each other before giving her an answer.

“Oh, well, we’ll send out an invitation the next time we have a party,” Upper Crust responded.

“Yes, we’ll make sure to let you know. If you will excuse us, however, we have some other business to attend to this evening. It was a pleasure to meet you,” Jet Set added.

“Likewise,” Trixie said, watching as the two left, mumbling to themselves. “And that was a perfect conversation. I got this best Gala guest thing in the bag,” she said levitating over another hoof sandwich….and then a few more. Seriously, why were these things so small?

She pondered that thought as she ate, watching as what looked like a band was starting to set up. Classical music, from the looks of it. Ugh, now she remembered why these types of events always bored her so much. Glancing over at Luna, now chatting with some Earth Pony stallion, she wondered if the princess was having a good time…

“Yes, I am thankful for your offer on providing the guard new uniforms, but I am afraid I can’t discuss such matters tonight,” Luna said, really holding back her annoyance at yet another round of ‘pony obviously trying to get her to buy something’.

“Oh, yes, of course your majesty. I’m quite aware of the royal protocol regarding such matters. I had simply wished to comment that perhaps the guard uniforms could use a change and wanted to offer some advice,” the stallion in front of her replied. It was quite a transparent excuse.

“Your advice has been noted, Hoity Toity. Perhaps you can offer your advice the next time the uniform goes up for review, at the public hearings on the matter.”

“Very well, Princess Luna. It has been splendid talking with you, but I must talk with Fleur about our next show together before the band arrives. Enjoy the rest of your evening. Quite literally, I believe,” he said, chuckling as he walked off. She waited for him to turn around before rolling her eyes, that having now been the, what, third, fourth time she had heard that joke this evening?

Honestly, though, she was starting to find this evening quite draining. Sure, nobles and merchants using official dinners to strike business deals was even older than her, but now knowing Celestia had put in rules regarding such matters, she had hoped her experience with Jet Set and Upper Crust had been a one-off error. Instead, it was her entire night. Perhaps this was simply an attempt to take advantage of her naivete about such things which, well, had already been the case with Jet Set and Upper Crust. Most of the other ponies were not as blunt as they had been, of course, but after sometime it was quite clear what it was they had hoped to achieve. How Celestia ever kept herself from lashing out she would never know.

Fortunately, the sounds of various stringed instruments playing suggested something much more her style was to come. Still, she was not too familiar with the particular piece. It sounded somewhat closer to the music she was familiar with – nothing like the ‘electronic’ or ‘popular music’ that was so common these days – but perhaps a few centuries later? She had studied up on what was now called “classical music”, but she still had to work on learning pieces by ear. Still, from the looks of it this was a well-known enough piece that just about everypony – Trixie being a rather notable but expected exception – seemed to be moving to the dance floor.

More intriguing, however, was they seemed to be dancing on their hindlegs, using their partner to provide support? That was quite odd. Most dances she was aware of did not require such obviously difficult positioning for creatures such as themselves.

“Ah, your majesty, perhaps you’re not familiar with this dance?”

Luna turned to find Fancy Pants had approached her, Fleur standing right next to him.

“Well, yes, I do admit I am not quite familiar with this dance. Is it new?”

Fancy Pants wiggled a hoof.

“Relatively speaking. A few decades back there was a ball held to celebrate a new treaty with the minotaur territories. Ponies were absolutely fascinated with their dancing on two legs, and when combined with the classical ballroom dances it created a particularly challenging dance that is quite popular among the Canterlot elite.”

“Mostly because being able to pull it off shows a high level of grace and dexterity. In other words, a grand way to show off,” Fleur added.

“And no one does it better than you, dear,” he said, extending a hoof to Fleur. “We better get started soon. It’d be rude for the hosts to not participate.”

After a second, however, he turned to look at Luna.

“Unless of course you would like for one of us to teach you the steps?”

“Oh, no, thank you, but I’m perfectly fine. You’ve worked hard for this party, and I would hate to get in the way of your first dance of the night. Besides, it seems my apprentice is in need of some company,” Luna said, noticing Trixie was still by herself.

“Well, I commend your loyalty to your ward, Princess. Perhaps later you can do us the honor of sharing a dance?” Fancy Pants replied.

“I would appreciate that,” Luna replied.

Everypony gave each other polite bows before separating: Fancy Pants and Fleur to the dance floor, Luna to the buffet table and Trixie.

“Having a pleasant evening so far, Trixie?” Luna said, taking the opportunity to sit. The ground was a little cold from the evening air, but she wanted to relax. All that talking had absolutely drained her.

“Oh, yeah, it’s been great so far. Talked to a couple of ponies, ate some sandwiches. Honestly, not that much different from my school dances,” Trixie said, levitating over two glasses as she took a seat herself. “Punch?”

“Yes, thank you,” Luna said, sipping some of the fruity drink as she watched the ponies begin to dance. “Speaking of dances, do you not wish to join them?”

Trixie laughed.

“Yeah, no, I’m good. I got enough of this dance back at school. Never really liked it, or the music,” she said, gulping down the whole glass of punch in one go. “I still get nightmares about our music instructor.”

“You do? Trixie, why did you not let me know? I would have gladly assisted you in conquering such a nightmare,” Luna said.

Trixie, however, just looked at her wide-eyed and began to wave a hoof.

“Sorry, it was just a joke! I mean, I really didn’t like that class much, but I don’t literally have nightmares about her.”

“Oh, that is good to hear,” Luna said, turning her attention back to watching the ponies dancing, all turning in almost perfect sync.

As she watched, however, she felt…odd. In some sense it was familiar to the feelings she had before she became Nightmare Moon, but without the bitterness at being ignored or condemned due to being associated with ‘the night’. No, it was much simpler than that, sense of…loneliness was the best word she could think of. Excluded? Maybe that worked better: after all, she had Trixie to sit here with, so she wasn’t lonely. Perhaps…

“Hey, is everything okay?”

Luna snapped out of her thoughts and glanced over at Trixie, who was looking up at her with worry. Having already had the talk about being more open with their feelings, Luna decided it was best to confide in her apprentice.

“Sorry, Trixie. So much of the current world’s traditions are essentially new to me. As much as I try and learn about them the best I can, it seems I always miss something, and I end up on the sidelines like this. I may not be the ‘social caterpillar’ –”

“Social butterfly,” Trixie interjected.

“See, even something as simple as idioms requires correction! Anyway, I may not be the ‘social butterfly’ that my sister is, but I had thought after all this time I was starting to catch onto what the world was like now. Moments like this just remind me of just how much I have missed these last thousand years, and it’s just so frustrating.”

Luna’s ear flicked as she heard Trixie sigh and stand up, and soon she saw the mare’s hoof in front of her.

“Alright, if that’s the problem, then let me say ‘Can I have this dance, madame?’”

Luna looked down at the hoof and then back up at Trixie, who was giving her a smile. A somewhat forced smile – Trixie had already made her disdain for this dance quite clear – but a smile none the less.

“Trixie, there’s no need to –”

“Look, I’ve done the whole ‘sit on the side of the gym cause no one wanted to dance with you’ thing, and it sucks. Saving you from that is the least I can do as your Great and Powerful apprentice,” Trixie said, her smile growing more sincere. Luna found it hard to resist matching it, and so she didn’t try.

“Very well, Trixie. It will be my honor to dance with you this evening.”

Luna grabbed a hold of Trixie’s hoof and stood up. Not wanting to interrupt the dancers already on the floor, the two decided to stay near to the buffet table. As they began to try and stand on their hindlegs, though, a very obvious problem began to appear. Trixie was supposed to be taking the lead, being the one who knew the steps and all, but, well, when standing on their hindlegs the mare only came up to Luna’s chest, barely.

“Trixie, are you sure about this?” Luna said, awkwardly trying to figure out where her other foreleg was supposed to go while the other still held Trixie’s hoof.

“It’s fine, it’s fine. Just give me a second,” Trixie said.

Luna could feel Trixie’s foreleg settling at her waist, by which she meant it was laid against her side. Glancing at the other ponies, Luna noted it was supposed to be across the other ponies back.

“Okay, just, uh, lower your foreleg and put your other one on my shoulder and we should be good to go,” Trixe continued.

Luna did as she instructed, but glancing down she could see that Trixie’s forelegs were already starting to wobble. Honestly, the whole position felt rather uncomfortable, with the foreleg holding Trixie’s hoof having to bend quite a bit so as to not have Trixie dangling in the air beside her. Though, as Fleur stated, the uncomfortableness was supposed to be the point, with those who master the dancing having grace and dexterity. She had simply forgotten to add flexibility to the list was all.

Shifting her attention towards the other guests, she could see that eyes were beginning to look in their direction, and she could already hear the whispers of gossip.

“Trixie, really, you don’t need to do this…”

“I’m totally fine,” Trixie replied. “You wanted to be a part of this dance thing, so I’m going to help. We’re going to be the best dancers out there…once I can take a step.”

Trixie’s boast of confidence renewed Luna’s spirits. Instead of nervously looking at others she turned her attention to Trixie, who was herself nervously looking down at the ground muttering numbers to try and keep to the pace of the music. Luna smiled, and nodded.

“Very well then, shall we start?”

“We’ll start in 1..2..3...4…5…now!”

On cue, the two began to move about, joining the other ponies in turning. It was rather stilted, but it was a turn at least. And then they turned again, and again, and again. From an outsider’s view it was all rather clunky at best, lacking all the grace and smoothness of Fancy Pants and Fleur’s effortless gliding. Considering the challenges of her height and Trixie’s rustiness, Luna assumed it was over all quite good for a first time.

“Thank you, Trixie, for instructing me in this dance,” Luna said, though she had to stifle a giggle as Trixie was once again mumbling to herself.

“Hmm? Oh, yeah, no problem. Sorry, just trying to remember the steps. One and two and three and foooooo –”

As the two of them began to turn again, Trixie mixed up her left and right hoof, causing the already unstable mare’s legs to finally give in. Within seconds the two of them were falling to the ground.

Well, Trixie was heading towards the ground.

Having been caught up in the dance, Luna hadn’t noticed they had drifted back towards the buffet, not at least until she found herself smashing into the table face first. The good news was that at least gave her something to catch herself on, stopping her from falling all the way. The bad news was that the tip of her horn caught onto the punch bowl, causing it to spill over onto her face before dripping off the side and onto Trixie’s face as well.

“Hey, you two alright?!” Moon Shiner said as he poked his head out from his station underneath the table, some sandwich crumbs spilling from his mouth. The band stopped playing, and Luna could just feel the entirety of the party staring at them.

“Still not the worst party I’ve been too,” Trixie replied. “You okay, Luna?”

Luna, meanwhile, didn’t answer. Instead, her mind was focused on the fact she was rather appreciative of the cherry-flavored drink now soaking into her coat. It would help hide the tremendous blush that was growing on her face as she stood there, hooves hanging onto the far edge of the table as she tried to get her bearings. Gently she began to prop herself back up, taking a step back once she felt secure. The massive amount of punch spilled, however, had made the ground unexpectedly muddy, and once again she found herself slipping. At least this time she avoided the table, but Trixie’s following “Ooof” reminded her this was not a smooth landing either.

“Still. Not. The Worst,” Trixie said in between breathes.

Figuring that standing was now way beyond her ability, Luna rolled off onto the grass. It really didn’t matter at this point that her back was likely going to be stained because she could feel her whole body flushing with anxiety-driven adrenaline as everypony looked at her and Trixie. Grass stains were the least of her worries right now.

“Nice going, Moon Shiner. What, too busy eating sandwiches to pay attention to where they were dancing?” Star Breaker yelled as she emerged from her bush. Moon Shiner, meanwhile, was quickly moving to help Luna and Trixie up as Fleur and Fancy Pants made their way over.

“Your majesty, that was quite the tumble. Would you and your apprentice like to use the club’s showers to clean yourselves off? That punch is going to leave quite a stain if you don’t rinse it out quickly,” Fancy Pants said, keeping his distance lest he too fall into the mess.

“Thank you, Fancy Pants, but I think I’m going to head home for the evening,” Luna responded as she stood up, keeping her face down to try and hide her blush. Between it and the punch, her face was practically purple.

“Hey, there’s no reason to be so upset. It’s my fault we got all tripped up,” Trixie whispered.

“You were simply trying to help me, Trixie, but it appears that helping me fit into modern customs will require more than even your confidence to succeed,” Luna said, keeping to a whisper as well as the two finally regained their footing.

By this point Star Breaker and Moon Shiner had set a little perimeter between them and the crowd, though that didn’t stop everypony else from getting as close as they could anyways..

“I completely understand if you wish to retire for the night,” Fancy Pants said, gesturing at the crowd to get back and give them some room. “My sincere apologies that you have to leave under such circumstances.”

Luna looked up, giving as polite a smile as she could to Fancy Pants and Fleur, having been about the only two this evening she didn’t get annoyed at. Well, that and her little entourage.

“You owe me no apologies, Fancy Pants and Fleur. If anything, it is I who owe you two apologies for having caused such a mess of your party,” she said, glancing back at the ruined buffet table with broken punch bowls and soggy sandwiches. “Now, if you will excuse us, we will be leaving for the evening.”

Luna didn’t even bother to look at everypony else, instead keeping her gaze straight forward on the exit and simply desiring to be there as fast as possible. Sure, she could teleport out of there, but as that would basically be the unicorn equivalent of running out in a tantrum, it would be an even more dramatic scene than her walking out. She was a princess of Equestria, after all! She was going to maintain at least some dignity after all this, and she would not reduce herself by teleporting out in shame.

“If you’re not able to get the stains out, feel free to stop by our spa. Our stylists can work miracles on even the messiest of coats.”

Okay, she will teleport in shame after she dealt with that comment, because at this point she was too tired and hyped up on that panic-adrenaline to care what came out of her mouth next.

“Could everypony here please stop trying to SELL ME THINGS,” Luna said, slipping into the Canterlot Voice at the end as she turned around, glaring at the crowd and just daring whoever said that to speak up.

“Uhm, Luna, I think they were just trying to help,” Trixie replied, and logically Luna knew she was right. But, if there was any time she could perhaps be forgiven for letting lose just a little, it was after she had smashed a table and drenched herself in punch.

“This entire evening I have had to deal with a parade of ponies trying to get me to endorse their products. ‘Luna, buy our airships for the guard’, ‘Luna, the guard needs need my new uniform designs.’ How in the world does my sister deal with your nagging?”

Luna smirked as she saw Jet Set, Upper Crust, Hoity Toity, and a few other ponies slowly begin to back away from the crowd.

“All I wanted this evening was to ‘mingle’ among you all like everypony else, and what do you do? You try and use me for…what was it called, Star Breaker?”

“Uh, insider trading?”

“Yes, insider trading! I admit I am not as well versed in the modern economy like my sister, nor do I blame you all for using this time to engage in business, but that is the only thing you even tried to talk with me about! It was obnoxious, infuriating, and absolutely disappointing! Good night, you scavengers!”

Having felt like she had properly shamed them all, Luna turned around to face the exit. Her face was still flushed from anger, but embarrassment soon overcame that emotion.

“Trixie?” Luna whispered.

“Y-yeah?” Trixie whispered back, glancing between the Princess and the crowd of ponies, whose mouths were just agape.

“I’m sorry for having to abandon you like this, but I don’t believe that I’ll be attending the Gala this year.”

Before Trixie could reply, Luna disappeared a flash of dark blue light, she was gone, leaving Trixie alone with her guards. She hated to leave them to deal with her mess, but at this point it was simply one more thing to throw onto her pile of embarrassment and guilt as she collapsed onto her bed and buried her head in as many pillows as she could muster.

She would deal with how sticky her coat felt much, much later.

Author's Note

So, this whole dinner party thing was supposed to be, like, one chapter. Then it turned into three simply because I was having too much fun with the character interactions. It does kill off what I originally had planned for what's next, but I think it works out for the best anyway as thinking on it I basically had a bunch of padding. So we're going to get to the Gala soon!

Also, anyone else know of stories where insider trading was a plot point?

After Dinner Comforting

After a long day of diplomacy, public appearances, holding court, and meetings (oh so many meetings), Princess Celestia desperately wanted to go to bed. Tonight, however, was different. Instead of the blissful peace of slumber, she found her pacing about the throne room nervously, like she was a parent waiting up for their kid.

It wasn’t a child keeping her awake, however, but her sister. Between the two of them, Luna had always been the more introverted of the two, desiring love and affection from their subjects but always having difficulty in relating to them. That eventually festered into the anger and rage of Nightmare Moon, and for a millennium Celestia had felt guilty for having missed how much her sister had been suffering. Now she had a second chance to help her, though Luna’s stubbornness meant she had to be sneaky about it. Telling her about Nightmare Night celebrations in Ponyville had turned out better than she ever thought. The morning after had been one of the few times Luna joined her for breakfast and she spent the entire time gushing about it.

Getting her to the Gala, however, had proved a more difficult task. Sure, it was probably the most boring celebration in the entirety of Equestria, but it was an expected formality that had to be endured. The dressing up, the dancing, the high-society guests, however, seemed to scare Luna off, pushing her to find any excuse to avoid it. Her first year back? Sure, Celestia understood to desire for privacy, but now that time had passed and Luna had made some headway into being more public, she wasn’t going to let her sister hide forever.

The arrival of Trixie – which was in of itself quite the welcome surprise – had provided a good enough excuse to make her sister go. “You need to be there for your apprentice,” she had told Luna, not letting her know Twilight had never gone till after she moved to Ponyville. Playing to Luna’s sense of responsibility and burgeoning connection with Trixie, though, had done the trick. Fancy Pants’s dinner had been even more perfect, serving as a safe environment for Luna to get some practice for the big night. There was no way that it could go wrong, right?

“Maybe I should have gone with her,” Celestia mumbled to herself, continuing her pacing as she thought of all the possible things that might have went wrong.

She was startled from these thoughts, however, by a sudden flash of light and the arrival of sister, with neither Trixie nor the guards with her. That was not a good sign, but perhaps she had just left a little early?

“Welcome back, Luna! How was your – “

“Absolutely dreadful!”

Before Celestia could respond, Luna had crossed the room and embraced her before quietly beginning to sob into her coat.

“Shhh, it’s alright, Luna, it’s alright. Why don’t I make you some pancakes and we can talk about it, okay?”

Celestia could feel Luna moving her head up and down on her shoulder to signal yes, but decided to give the mare a bit more time before letting go.

Tonight was going to be a long night.

After Luna’s outburst and sudden departure, Fancy Pants had called for an end to the party. It wouldn’t exactly stop the resulting gossip – Fleur had assured Trixie that unfortunately tomorrow even the normal newspapers would likely have this as front-page news – but it gave Trixie and the guards at least a little breathing room to figure out what to do next.

“Well, it wasn’t exactly the worst party I’ve been too. At least there was no rampaging horde of forest creatures being hunted down by an enraged pegasus,” Star Breaker said. “I’m sure this will all blow over soon enough.”

“Unfortunately, it is unlikely to ‘blow over’ in time for the Gala,” Fancy Pants said, using his magic to try and clean up at least a little of the destroyed buffet table. “Princess Luna already had a bit of a reputation for being unapproachable and aloof. At least, that’s the reputation among those who’ve never had her visit them in their sleep.”

“Oh, have you been having secret rendezvous with the princess, my dear,” Fleur said, helping the unicorn stallion with the cleanup while gently leaning into him, a grin across her face while a blush grew on his.

“She has visited a few times to discuss some…anxieties, I’ve been having,” he replied. “But darling, you have nothing to worry about. Luna visits my nightmares, but you’re the only one in my dreams,” he said, leaning into her and giving a small kiss on her cheek.

“I guess they’ve made up,” Star Breaker said, watching the two unicorns laugh. She gave out a cough to catch their attention, the two lovebirds bashfully turning their attention back to them. “Sorry, but I just wanted to let you two know we’re going to go ahead and head out.”

“Oh, uhm, yes, I guess you want to get back to the Princess as soon as possible. Please, let her know that I am truly sorry that tonight turned out to be so stressful for her and that I would love to have her come back for a private dinner, if that would be more comfortable for her,” Fancy Pants replied.

“I’ll pass the word to her,” Star Breaker replied, giving a quick salute with her hoof before turning towards the exit. “Come on, Moon Shiner, let’s escort Trixie back home.”

Soon the trio were on the road back to the castle. The two guards had once again strapped themselves in to pull the carriage, but Trixie had opted to walk beside them instead of riding. She was tired, but she was also anxious, and a good walk always helped with that. Not helping, however, was the awkward silence the three fell into as they left the garden club behind.

This was not exactly how Trixie had thought tonight was going to go, and she had never seen Luna so flustered. She had seen Luna angry, yes, but that had been because of mistakes she had made. It had been more of a righteous anger aimed at Discord and, to an extent, Trixie herself. This, however, this had been an anger she was much more personally acquainted with: the anger at being embarrassed. Honestly, she had never seen that come from either princess. Could princesses even be embarrassed?

“Hey, uh, I got a question for you two,” she said, glancing over at the two bat ponies. “Have you ever seen Princess Luna act like that?”

“Hmm, can’t say I ever have, but I’m also kind of new so can’t really say for sure,” Moon Shiner replied. “You ever see an outburst like that, Breaker?”

“I mean, I’ve seen her get frustrated before, and she is not a morning pony, that’s for sure,” she said, swiping the air in front of her with her hoof for emphasis. “Then again, most night creatures aren’t. Never want to see me in the morning without coffee,” she said with a chuckle. “Anyway, I think that’s pretty much the biggest outburst I’ve ever seen out of her. Frankly, it improved my opinion of her,” she said with a shrug. “Never liked most of those ponies anyway. See them around the castle a lot, and most of them are just about the most annoying, self-centered sycophants.”

“Sycophants? What, got yourself a word a day calendar?” Moon Shiner said, bumping into Star Breaker teasingly.

“Hey, I had a proper education. I just choose to come off as a jock because it’s more fun that way,” she said, bumping him back, causing him to stumble a bit. “Though, for the record, I was pretty good at sports in school.”

“Anyway,” Trixie said, interrupting this trip into memory lane. “I’m just kind of worried what she’s going to be like once we get back to the castle. She was pretty nervous about this whole night, and I know from first-hoof experience that bombing like that can be pretty tough to bounce back from.”

“You mean the amulet thing? Ow!”

Moon Shiner rubbed his shoulder as Star’s hoof returned back to the ground.

“What was that for?”

“You know we’re not supposed to bring that bring that stuff up,” Star replied.

“No, it’s alright. I had meant just going back to the wagon after a bad performance and just indulging in whatever junk food I had packed, but yes, seeking out ancient evil artifacts and using them to seek revenge was also not the healthiest response I’ve ever had,” Trixie replied, rolling her eyes. “Point is, I know how much it sucks, and I just want to figure out how to help?”

“Well, what do you do after a bad performance now?” Star Breaker replied.

“After I learned some healthier habits, I…mostly still just kind of sat in my wagon, binge some junk food, maybe read a book or practice a simple trick to keep my mind busy. I mean, there’s not that much you can really do but just let those feelings run their course.”

“I usually exercise when I have a bad day,” Moon Shiner replied. “Feels really good to just go for a flight, let that anxiety just burn away.”

“Ugh, no wonder you got a better time on the course than me,” Star Breaker replied with a groan. “I’m honestly a more ‘junk food binge’ gall myself, but I don’t think that’s going to quite work with Luna.”

“Well, what do you suggest?” Trixie replied.

“Hmm, first, probably wait for Princess Celestia to stop comforting her. Never get in the way of a sibling wanting to protect their other siblings,” Star Breaker replied. “After that, probably just go and hang out with her for a bit to show some support, tell some stories of your own”

“That…doesn’t sound like a bad idea. Probably would have ate a lot less junk food if I had somepony to vent to after a bad night,” Trixie said, rubbing the bottom of her muzzle as she thought. “Although, the junk food still probably helps…then again, she doesn’t really strike me as the type to like junk food either.”

“Luna, please, there’s no need to rush! There’s plenty of pancakes to go around,” Celestia said.

Luna, however, ignored the warning, instead angrily consuming a stack of pancakes drenched in syrup, whipped cream, and fruit. Sure, she would likely regret it later, but right now just having anything else to focus on was a blessing, and the warm, fluffy piles brought an odd sense of comfort to her. Perhaps Changelings were not the only creatures who could sense love in their food…

“Luna, at least drink some milk!”

Indulging in her sister’s wish, Luna, gulped down some milk, clearing her mouth and throat of pancake and toppings. Satisfied, she took a moment to finally just breathe and talk.

“…why did you make pancakes? Are these not meant for breakfast?”

Celestia blinked at the question, then laughed.

“If I’m being honest, pancakes are about the only thing I’ve really learned to cook well. Quick, simple, and endless amount of toppings. Perfect for a princess wishing to indulge in a simple hobby,” Celestia replied, slowly eating her own pile of pancakes in a much more dignified manner. “Now, then, do you feel ready to talk?”

“Yes, oddly. I was not aware that having a stomach full of pancakes could make one feel so comfortable,” Luna replied.

“We’ll talk about the concept of ‘comfort food’ some other time. When we do, let me know what your favorite food is and I’ll try and learn to make it,” Celestia replied, setting her silverware down and moving her plate aside. “So, then, what exactly happened?”

“Very well,” Luna sighed. “It was all okay at first. Nervous, but fine. I did stumble over something that Star Breaker said was ‘insider trading’, though.”

Celestia nodded.

“Ah, yes, many ponies seem to think parties are an excellent time to petition me about what I plan to purchase for the kingdom to gain a financial edge. I’m not surprised they felt it worth trying the same stunts with you.”

“Indeed, and I made sure to be careful about that for the rest of the night, though the constant attempts to sell me everything became quite irritating,” Luna said, taking an angry bite of pancake.

“That would explain the outburst you mentioned, but not why your coat is stained and smells –” Celestia sniffed the air “– like fruit?”

“Dancing,” Luna said dryly. “Apparently there is a rather popular dance of minotaur origins performed at functions such as this, and while Trixie valiantly tried to help, I ended up crashing into the buffet table and spilling the ‘punch’ on myself.”

A moment of silence passed, and Luna watched as Celestia took a napkin and spent an unusually long amount of time wiping her mouth. At least, it was unusual until Luna could begin to hear “Snrrrks” coming from Celestia.

“It’s not funny!” Luna yelled, her face turning dark purple once again from blushing. That, however, just served as a signal for Celestia to laugh out loud.

“I’m sorry Luna, but I just imagined how it had to look and just couldn’t help it,” Celestia said, now using her napkin to wipe some tears as Luna just laid back into her chair, forelegs crossed and pouting. “Honestly, I’m mostly surprised such a thing has never happened at the Gala, though I guess I should also admit that I never learned it either. I just declined to dance till ponies just gave up asking.”

“You what! Then why did I have to do it?!” Luna replied, forelegs splayed out in exasperation.

“I mean, did you try to decline?”

“Well, yes, but then I saw everypony else dancing while and I wanted to join them…”

Luna noticed Celestia’s laughing died down pretty quickly when she said that, instead her eyes widened and her voice softened.

“I’m sorry, Luna, I didn’t realize it would end up being such a big deal for you. I’m so used to avoiding it I never thought you’d want to do it. I can bring an instructor in to teach you if you want.”

“It’s fine, sister,” Luna said, putting a hoof to the bridge of her muzzle and rubbed it to stave off a small food-induced headache. “Trixie was doing fine, at least till my larger size compared to her led us to trip. I think I will join you in avoiding such dances in the future.”

“No, no, if you really want to do it, you should learn!”

“It is not the dance itself I wanted,” Luna replied as she got out of her chair, exhaustion and pancake-induced sleepiness finally catching up and desiring to just go to bed. “I just wanted to be a part of festivities, like how I participate in Nightmare Night.”

“Hmm, I do think dinner parties would be much better if the ghost of Nightmare Moon haunted them,” Celestia replied, smiling as she too got out of chair, her magic working to tidy up the table just a little in the process.

“That is not what I meant,” Luna said, but she was smiling too, just a little. She quickly pushed it back, however, wanting to stay mad just a bit longer. “It is just, there has been so much that I have missed that it feels so isolating when I encounter something I do not know,” she said, turning to head out.

Before she could, however, she felt Celestia’s wing drape over her as her sister began to hug her.

“Well, I’m sorry I didn’t let you know of all the customs of modern dinner parties, Luna. Like I said, it’s all just become so dull to me that I didn’t think about how it would be all new to you,” she said, nuzzling her sister gently. “But, still, you shouldn’t worry so much about being absolutely perfect. Even if you don’t know a dance or proper silverware placement or whatever else is the current thing they’re obsessing about, you’ll do your best when you’re just being yourself.”

Luna sighed. Celestia wasn’t wrong in what she was saying, but at the same time it felt that the point was being missed. But it was getting late and the food coma was starting to settle in enough that she didn’t want to fight about it. Perhaps they could talk about it more another day.

“You’re right, Celly. Still, I think after tonight I might sit out on this year’s Gala. Sorry to disappoint you,” she said, pulling out of the hug.

She could see Celestia wasn’t happy but was at least trying to keep up a smile.

“I…I understand, Lulu,” Celestia replied, matching Luna’s use of nickname as she pulled her wing back. “I do wish you to reconsider, but I understand.” She walked back, her magic enveloping the silverware as she continued to clean up. “But right now, just try and have a good night’s sleep, okay?”

Now that Luna could agree with, and she gave her a smile. “Yeah, I will.”

Trixie had spotted the two sisters talking in the dining hall and, following Star Breaker’s advice, had decided to wait for the two of them to finish. In the meantime, she had made her way to Luna’s bedroom and comfortably taking a seat, a bag of various snacks that she had bought at a small store that was surprisingly still open this late (Star Breaker’s recommendation – they catered to bat ponies and the night owls). She was in the middle of munching on some potato chips when Luna finally arrived.

“There you are! You feeling alright?” Trixie said, moving so that the princess could get into her room.

“Yes, Trixie, I’m feeling…fine. I just want to head to bed and move on, if you don’t mind,” Luna replied, not even looking at Trixie as she dragged herself through the door. Just as the princess tried to close it with her magic, however, Trixie stuck her foreleg in to keep it open.

“Oh no you don’t, Princess. Apologies for being so forceful, but I know what it’s like to bomb a performance so I can tell that you aren’t fine at all. Besides, I brought snacks!”

Trixie levitated the opened bag of chips and other goodies in front of Luna, who turned slightly green.

“Uggh, no, thank you Trixie, but I’m absolutely stuffed with pancakes and couldn’t even dream of eating anything more,” Luna said, pushing the snacks back. “Please, just head to bed. We’ll have lessons tomorrow” she said, continuing towards her own bed.

Sadly for Luna, Trixie was a rather stubborn mare, and instead she made her way inside and took a seat at the edge of the bed, munching on chips as she did so.

“Nope, sorry Princess, but I’m going to have to overrule you on that.”

Luna glanced over at her as she made her way underneath some covers.

“Oh, is that so? Has the Great and Powerful Trixie decided to rebel against my rule?”

“Yep, I, Trixie, have decided to stage a sit-in and demand you accept Trixie’s help in these troubled times. You do not, however, have to eat the snacks,” Trixie said, levitating out some cookies. Taking a bite, however, she spat it out. “Ugh, is that a bug?”

“Those are probably made for bat ponies. Insects are not an unusual part of their diet,” Luna said, a small giggle escaping from the lump that was her, pillows, and blankets.

“Star Breaker could have said something before I bought it. I thought the bug was just a mascot or something,” Trixie said, putting the cookies back into the bag and just focusing on the chips. “Anyway, where was I?”

“Trying to comfort me?” Luna said. “But you really don’t need to do anything. I had a bad night, and I want to just forget about it.”

Trixie shook her head as she chewed, swallowing before replying.

“Look, if you don’t want to talk that’s fine, but you know that I really like to talk, so I’m going to do that for a while.”

“As you wish, Trixie,” Luna replied, but Trixie could see that the princess had stuck her head out just enough for her ears to be visible.

“Right, well, did I ever tell you the story of how I got my cutie mark, or the time I set the school curtains on fire during the talent show?”

That got Luna’s attention, her head peeking out even further from under the blanket to look at Trixie.

“No, I don’t believe you ever told either story.”

“Perfect, because it’s one story,” Trixie replied, levitating up a soda bottle, wanting to get a nice drink in before starting.

“Long before I was the Great and Powerful Trixie, I was just Trixie Lulamoon, the awkward magic kindergarten student with no cutie mark. I was a bit of a late bloomer, you see, but you can’t force perfection so it was alright,” Trixie said, starting off the story with her usual bravado. She just assumed Luna had rolled her eyes at that and continued.

“Anyway, I already had a thing for stage magic at the time, what with my mom having a bunch of magic stuff around the house growing up.”

“Is she a stage magician too?” Luna asked.

“Nah, she’s a florist. Supplies me with all the flowers I need for my shows, though. She said my dad was a magician, but that’s all I know about him,” Trixie shrugged.

“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that, Trixie,” Luna said, but Trixie waved it off.

“Nah, it’s fine, I’m used to it. Not important to the story, anyway. What is important is that they announced there would be a talent show, and my little filly brain thought ‘Hey, if I win the talent show, I can figure out my special talent’, because that’s how I thought it worked.”

“A display of one’s talents is not a bad way to determine if it is something you are truly suited for, and it appears to have worked. That does not explain the fire, though,” Luna said, having started to sit up and pay attention more.

“I’m getting to that. Geeh, get some patience,” Trixie said, teasing the princess. “Anyway, I wanted to do a magic trick for the show, but doing all the stuff from the books hadn’t gotten me a cutie mark yet, so I figured I needed something…bigger. A unique trick all of my own that could be a real showstopper. So, I went to the library and began to research some real magic to do.”

“Wait, the Great and Powerful Trixie, researching?” Luna replied, smirking.

“Hey, I know how to research. I just don’t like it that much,” Trixie replied. “But, yeah, I got bored of doing that real quick, but there was a firework show that evening as part of Nightmare Night celebrations.”

“Fireworks, for Nightmare Night? That seems odd,” Luna replied.

“Yeah, there was some old stallion in our neighborhood who liked doing them. Thought it’d help scare off Nightmare Moon.”

“For future reference, I am not afraid of fireworks,” Luna replied dryly.

“Noted,” Trixie replied. “But anyway, that gave me the bright idea of creating my own fireworks out of magic. I mean, what better way to end a show, right? Big, loud, colorful, absolutely perfect for me!”

“Yes, that does sound like a good fit for you. But I don’t see how that would lead to a fire starting. Aren’t your fireworks illusionary?” Luna replied.

Trixie laughed nervously, rubbing the back of her head.

“Yeah, so, the first version of the spell wasn’t.”

“Oh….”

“But you’re getting ahead of me here,” Trixie said, putting a hoof out to signal Luna to stop before putting it back down. “So, I spent weeks working on the spell, and then it was time to perform. I did all the usual stuff first. Card tricks, pulling a rabbit out of a hat, that sort of thing. Didn’t go well. Never drew the right card, the rabbit jumped out of the hat and into the audience before I even said the magic words, yada yada. So, I was getting pretty nervous and decided ‘Alright, showtime.’”

“And that’s when you set the curtains on fire?”

“Yep!” Trixie said, oddly proud of that. “I just reared back, horn glowing, and just let out as many fireworks as I could,” she said, rearing back with forelegs high on the bed (well, best she could while staying seated). “And it was absolutely amazing. Lights, explosions, an array of colors…and then the curtains caught fire and everypony had to evacuate,” she said as she laid back down.

“What happened after that?”

“Well, obviously I was suspended for like a month. Princess Celestia was oddly forgiving of that, but I guess all of us got at least one freebie on destroying rooms, what with what Twilight did during her entrance exam,” Trixie replied with a shrug. “But, just, as much of a mess as it was, in that brief moment of things not being on fire, I realized just how much I loved performing and showing off what I can do for others. To just be able to get on that stage and put everything I have into getting those eyes on me. And so, ta-dah, cutie mark!” she said, moving to show off her cutie mark to Luna.

“And you weren’t absolutely horrified about the mess you made?”

“Uh, no? It was totally awesome! Never let a little property damage get in the way of a good show,” Trixie said, laughing at her own joke. “Okay, I’m kidding. That’s how you get banned from places, and it’s why I eventually learned an illusionary version.”

By now Luna had fully emerged from the covers and was sitting up, though she was still wrapped in the blankets.

“Well, I do thank you for telling me this story, Trixie, but I’m not exactly sure why you’re telling me this now?”

“Because I wanted to let you know that, hey, sometimes you’re going to screw up big time, but it’s alright because sometimes good stuff can still come out of it,” Trixie said. “I mean, look, we both don’t exactly got the best history with this kind of stuff. You wanted eternal night, I wanted to take over a town, but hey, now we got each other to…I don’t know, talk about this kind of stuff? Like we did after you found out I got chaos magic from Discord?”

Luna sighed, but Trixie could see she was smiling, and so took it that it was a sigh of relief.

“Yes, you’re quite right, Trixe. I guess we both have had rather bad reactions to ‘screwing up big time’. Still, I’m not quite sure about how this latest incident will look…”

“Uhh, again, you tried to bring in eternal night. In comparison, this is nothing. Give it like a week or two and I’m sure they’ll move on,” Trixie said, waving it off as she returned to eating some more chips. “Besides, you do have another chance for a good impression at the Gala, right?”

Luna winced.

“Oh, right, the Gala. I’m…not too sure I’m up for that,” Luna said.

“Hmm, yeah, I guess I’d be a little hesitate for a repeat performance that close to a bad one,” Trixie said, thinking it over.

“It’s not just that, Trixe,” Luna replied. “The entire time at the dinner party, everypony seemed more focused on what they could get out of me as a princess instead of wanting to talk to me as just ‘Luna’. I had seen how my sister gets along with the crowds and had thought those barriers had fallen compared to the past, but it seems that some things don’t ever change.”

Hmm, yeah, Trixie didn’t quite have a story to respond to that. After all, she was never a princess. But they both knew someone who was both a normal pony and a princess.

“Yeah, Twilight might have some advice on that. I mean, she still eats at fast food places and gets ketchup smeared all over her face, so I’m sure she knows all about ‘mingling with the common’ folk while still being a princess” Trixie said. “…don’t ask how I know that.”

“By definition, her role as the ‘princess of friendship’ means she is more well suited to being able to maintaining such personal interactions despite her status. Besides, everypony in Ponyville knew her as just a normal unicorn before her ascendance, which surely plays a role in their continued willingness to treat her as just like anypony else. It is not like the ponies of this time ever met me from before I…”

Trixie watched as Luna paused mid-thought, foreleg hanging in the air, a smile slowly creeping onto her face.

“Uhh, Luna, is something wrong?”

Luna glanced over at Trixie, smiling. “No, Trixie, I think I just had a brilliant idea.”

Author's Note

So, apologies for the longer break between chapters. Had some real life stuff going on, and was going to write last week when I realized The Outer Wilds had come out. This month also has Thanksgiving, where I'll be visiting family, so nothing that week either probably.

That said, I'm also likely to have a period of chapters every other week for a while as I also have another fic I want to start writing that goes for the Christmas season. Wanted to write it last year but never got to it, so I want to get a few chapters written before December starts and will probably switch between these two fics during the rest of the year or potentially focus on just that one as we approach Christmas. We'll see how it goes.

Shenanigans

The Day of the Grand Galloping Gala

“When you said you wanted help with an ‘unusual’ request, this was not exactly what I was expecting,” Rarity said, her eyes staring at the floor of Luna’s bedchamber. From what Trixie knew of her she would have thought Rarity would be more entranced by the fine linens and curtains or something (dressmakers liked that kind of stuff too, right?), but she had to admit that the giant glowing circle of runes in the middle of the floor were probably more interesting.

“I do apologize for the sudden change in plans, Rarity, but this was a rather spur of the moment idea…well, as spur of the moment a week’s worth of planning could be,” Luna said, her attention focused on the spell book in front of her. “Did you bring the dress?”

“Oh, right,” Rarity said, her attention snapped back to the current situation by the princess’s words. “Are you sure you’re okay with such a simple dress, though? And, more importantly, are you sure this is going to fit you”

Rarity levitated the dress and a box of something over to a nearby rack, her face wracked with uncertainty as she did so. The dress was rather simple in design: two layers, one purple and one black, tightened at the waist and a deep v-cut that was framed with a black collar. The more interesting fact about it, however, was that the dress looked like it was designed for a mare only slightly bigger than Trixie, not the larger frame of a full grown alicorn princess.

“Just wait and see. Trust me, it’ll be amazing,” Trixie said from her place on the bed. “Come, sit, I got popcorn,” she added, shaking a small bag of popcorn.

Rarity looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

“Why do you have popcorn?”

“Please take a seat, Rarity,” Luna said, closing the book as she turned around and stepped towards the circle of runes. “It would be much easier to simply show you than to explain. However, before doing so, you must promise us that you will not reveal what you are about to see to anyone.”

“Why, o-of course I will keep all ‘this’ secret. But what exactly is ‘this’?” Rarity said, simply standing by the bed.

“Well, you see, Rarity, after that evening at Fancy Pants’s party, I had a thought about how I could practice connecting with ponies without the pressures of being a princess,” Luna said, both her horn and the runic circle glowing with a deep, navy blue color.

“And what did you decide to do?” Rarity asked.

“Simple: I will not be a princess,” Luna said, smiling before she was engulfed with a swirl of magical energy. In seconds the energy formed into a ball of dense, swirling patterns before floating into the air.

Rarity took a step back, aghast at the sight. Trixie, meanwhile, continued to nibble on popcorn, which just got a reaction of befuddlement from the white-coated mare.

“Trixie, the princess is in a levitating ball of magic, and you’re eating popcorn?!”

“Yeah, we’ve kind of already cast this spell a few times already as practice, and it is quite the light show, so why not enjoy a snack?” Trixie replied as the room was engulfed in an ever-shifting glow of blues and purples.

“But what is the spell?”

“You might want to close your eyes,” Trixie said as she did so.

Before Rarity could ask why, however, the glow exploded into a blinding flash. Once things had calmed down, and there were no more blinking dots in her retinas, Rarity could finally get a look at where Luna had been standing.

“Oh dear Celestia, what did you just do?” she gasped.

“I would like to note the irony in invoking my sister’s name like that in my presence” Luna said, but her voice was different. It was quieter, softer, lacking the same impact as her normal speaking voice. “Or I would do so, were I not just a normal pegasus pony who was not in any way related to Princess Celestia.”

“See, told you it’d be amazing,” Trixie said, moving off the bed – the popcorn bag thrown off to the side somewhere - to stand next to Luna, wanting to see for herself what the final draft of the princess’s new appearance looked like.

“I still think I should be the taller one,” Trixie said, pouting a little that she still had to tilt her head up to look at her mentor.

Still, it was a much shorter trip for her head as the once tall and proud alicorn was now just a Pegasus only a few inches taller than Trixie. The alicorn influence was not completely gone, however, as Luna retained the slimness of an alicorn, giving her a frame that would probably make Fleur de Lis a little jealous. Luna’s new coat was a few shades darker than Trixie’s own, but it was similar enough that Trixie thought they could pass off as sisters or cousins. Which, actually, kind of was the plan. Considering Rarity’s jaw was still dropped, however, Trixie figured they’d share that latter.

“And as I said before, it was disorienting being that short. Besides, I believe I can pull off being your older relative so much better,” Luna said shaking her head a bit to get the gray-blue colored mane out of her face before turning towards Rarity. “So, what do you think? Would I be able to blend into the crowd?”

There was a moment of silence as Rarity still looked at the whole scene, only reacting once Trixie walked over and poked her.

“Are-are you no longer an alicorn?”

“Yes and no,” Luna said, standing still for another awkward moment. “Oh, right, I do not have magic. I keep forgetting that.”

Luna flew over to the table and returned with the spell book, opening it to the relevant page.

“You see, after the party, Trixie and I discussed how Twilight was able to remain good friends with the ponies of Ponyville because they had a chance to know her before she became an alicorn. No pony alive today would have known me in such a manner, except my sister of course. To every pony else, however, I am Nightmare Moon or Princess Luna, but no pony knows me as just ‘Luna.’”

“So - ” Trixie said, joining Luna back at her side “- we had the idea to see if there was a way to let every pony meet her as ‘just Luna’, and what would you know, there was. Kind of.”

“I’m still kind of lost here,” Rarity said, finally relenting to sitting on the edge of the bed, still debating the need for a fainting couch or not.

“Well, we first thought about doing an age spell,” Luna said. “But we were concerned how that might interfere with my alicorn nature. Ascendance to being an alicorn changes the very fundamental nature of your being. Casting a de-aging spell would simply make me a younger alicorn, similar to how I looked the day you and your friends purged me of the darkness that was Nightmare Moon.”

“Plus, after the stunts I pulled under that amulet, I kind of didn’t want to mess with age spells,” Trixie added.

“Yes, I do recall you using those in your duel with Twilight,” Rarity replied. “I believe Snails still has an odd taste for prune juice because of it.”

Trixie winced. “Well, it’ll help with his digestion at least?”

“Since an age spell wasn’t appropriate -” Luna continued “– we decided to instead to tap into some powerful transformation and glamour spells to, effectively, recreate my appearance from before my sister and I were alicorns. With some adjustments, of course, to help sell a story that I am a distant cousin of Trixie’s.”

“So, let me make sure I understand this,” Rarity said, clapping her hooves together before leaning towards the two. “In order to help Princess Luna relate to pony’s better, the two of you decided – and I do apologize for questioning your judgement in this, princess – but the two of you decided to transform her into a pegasus and then claim she is a cousin of yours?”

“Well, my sister has an amulet that lets her do the same thing, but I had thought it too risky to borrow that from her,” Luna replied.

“Wait, Princess Celestia also…oh, quick, please, somepony get me a couch,” Rarity said, a forehoof moving to her forehead.

“Uh, you’re already on a bed?” Trixie replied.

“Oh. Right,” Rarity said before falling backwards in a properly dramatic fainting motion. “This is too much. What if Discord turns rogue? What if some other ancient evil frees itself and comes for the castle? What if somepony asks me where Princess Luna is and I’m forced to hide such a juicy secret from them!? It’d be practically torture!” Rarity said.

“Your priorities are rather odd, Rarity,” Luna said, walking over to the rack and inspecting the dress before beginning to put it on. “But, I do say, you did a fantastic job of making a dress that’ll fit this body of mine for not having even seen it before.”

“Yes, well, it does make the job somewhat easy when a client sends over a full litany of measurements,” Rarity replied. “Then again, that is also probably quite easy to do when you’re custom ordering your appearance,” she said, rolling onto her stomach. “Seriously, do you not think that this is a little drastic, your majesty?”

“Wow, Rarity, I didn’t think you’d be that hostile to this idea,” Trixie said. “I mean, it’s basically just a giant game of dress up. You like that kind of stuff, right?

“First off, this is obviously bigger than just a game of dress up, and so is my work for that matter,” Rarity snapped back. “And second, it’s not that I’m hostile to the idea, Trixie. In fact, I’m quite sympathetic to Princess Luna’s dilemma, and as a fashion designer I can also understand how empowering it can be to change one’s appearance. It is just that this is a bit…more drastic than trying a new style,” she continued, taking a moment to breathe before continuing. “But, if the Princess feels she needs to do this, then I will be one-hundred percent supportive.”

“I am glad to hear that, Rarity,” Luna said, smiling. “I do understand your concerns about the safety of the kingdom, however, but I assure you this is only temporary. Such powerful magic often requires a bit of a cost to it, and so I built in an ‘it ends at midnight’ clause to it, so it is very short duration.”

“It ends at midnight?” Rarity replied flatly.

“Yeah, I told her it was a bit too fairytale-ish, but we do really only need her to be like this for a couple hours so, eh, why not? Better than requiring a ‘true love’s kiss’ or something really hard to get,” Trixie said with a shrug.

“Yes, I am sure that Equestria will not fall apart in the few hours it takes me to ‘mingle’,” Luna said, her wings finally popping through the holes that had been put into the dress for them. “So, how do I look, uhm, again?”

Rarity took a deep breath and then smiled. “You look fabulous, Prince - I mean, darling,” Rarity said, looking like her nerves were finally calming down. “Actually, what are we supposed to call you?”

“We were thinking Serena? We had thought maybe Lulu, but that was too obvious, and then her full name would have been Lulu Lulamoon, and that’s just weird,” Trixie replied.

“Lulamoon?” Rarity asked.

“Yeah, Lulamoon. That’s my family’s name, and I’m helping her get into the party by claiming she’s a distant relative of mine who has always wanted to go the Gala but never could because of how busy her struggling career at being a musical theater performer in Manehattan has kept her oh so busy and…”

“Okay, okay, I do not need the full fake backstory” Rarity said, glancing at Trixie before looking back at Luna. “Anyway, I think Serena is a lovely name.”

With that, Rarity got off the bed, using her magic to open the box she had set aside by the dresses. Not surprising, it was sewing supplies, and immediately she began to use those supplies to adjust the dress. “Now then, let’s make sure this dress is absolutely perfect, Serena,” she said with a wink.

About an hour later or so Rarity was done adjusting the dress. While she was at it she had also done Luna’s hair and makeup, and just overall made the mare presentable for the Gala. When she was done with that, she proceeded to do the same to Trixie, though that did require a bit more fighting on Rarity’s part. As a showmare, Trixie was rather adamant she could do mane and makeup herself, but ultimately relented. Apparently when fashion was on the line, Rarity could not be stopped.

“There, you two look absolutely fabulous,” Rarity said, stepping back too look over her work.

Trixie’s dress was slightly fancier than Luna’s, but had a similar style. A dark purple under layer with a light purple top and trail that had little stars throughout that made it look similar to her stage cape. It was accented with a light-blue belt made of small stones, and some nice blue-star earrings. Luna’s own outfit was accessorized with black shoes, though she rejected Rarity’s offer of a black tiara. Too ‘royal’ for her undercover mission and all.

“Yes, I believe that I will perfectly blend into the rest of the ponies attending the Gala,” Luna said, looking over herself.

“Normally I would be offended somepony said my dresses simply ‘blend in’, but considering your goals for tonight I’ll take it as a compliment,” Rarity said.

“Don’t worry, I’ll make sure that they’re talking all about this dress,” Trixie said, spinning a bit, the dress designed so that there was a bit of a swishing motion when twirled that made it almost feel like a cape. “And, of course, the pony wearing it.”

“Yes, I do wish you luck in your goal of becoming the best guest the Gala has ever seen, Trixie,” Rarity said as she began to pack her stuff.

“Are you leaving already, Rarity? Are you not attending the Gala?” Luna replied.

“Sadly, no, Pri-Serena,” Rarity said, catching herself on the name. “After my last time at the Gala, I decided it would be best to take a break from them.”

“She means your nephew didn’t send her an invite because he’s still mad about how she embarrassed him,” Trixie added.

“Trixie! I was trying to be polite!” Rarity replied.

“Why? Not like he was polite to you. No need to cover for him in front of ‘Serena’, right?”

Rarity just sighed “Trixie, there is a certain charm to your bluntness, but that’s just not how things work in high society.”

“I, however, disagree. You are one of Equestria’s finest and deserve a spot at the Gala, Rarity,” Luna said firmly. “In fact, that is quite rude of him to deny you a spot due to some past misfortunes. In fact, I should march right down there and order him to give you a ticket.”

“Oh, there’s no need to make such a fuss over it. I’m perfectly fine not attending the biggest social event of the season, with Canterlot’s most famous, with all those potential connections,” Rarity said, her voice drifting off before she shook her head. “Besides, you’re not the Princess right now, remember. I doubt that he’ll be willing to let me in just because ‘Serena’ told him too.”

“Right, he wouldn’t, would he,” Luna said, looking at herself, her look of determination melting away rather quickly.

“Still, I appreciate the thought,” Rarity said, closing up her box. “Now then, I guess I should be off. You two have a wonderful night.”

Just as Rarity was about to leave, however, Trixie called out.

“Wait, before you go, do you have a moment? I wanted to refresh my memory on some of those manners and stuff we went over,” Trixie said, smiling nervously.

“I suppose I can stick around to make sure you’re fully prepared. I do recall you had particular trouble remembering the silverware setup,” Rarity replied.

“It’s not my fault! There’s no need for so many forks!” Trixie said, eliciting a giggle from Luna.

“Well, I suppose I will be heading down to the entrance with our tickets. Meet you there, ‘cousin’,” Luna said, winking and giggling before leaving the room. Once the door was closed, Trixie grabbed Rarity by the shoulders.

“Okay, seriously, you have got to help me. I’m freaking out here!”

“Ease up, darling,” Rarity said, pushing Trixie away. “Why are you panicking? You’ve been absolutely wonderful at our meetings, other than the silverware. Are you seriously that worried about the silverware?”

“The silverware, the curtsies, the dancing, everything! Helping Luna with this spell has taken a lot of work, and I had to learn a lot of magic stuff real fast,” Trixie said, pacing back and forth. “And so I kind of forgot to actually practice all that stuff, and when I tried to recall any of it I just… I just blanked, okay. I forgot all the fancy schmancy stuff, and I’m going to go out there and look like an idiot. It’s going to be a mess. Maybe not as big a mess as your last Gala – “

“Hey!”

“Sorry,” Trixie said, taking the moment to pause and breath. “Look, this is something that is very easy to fix, okay? You just got to trust me.”

“I am not liking the sound of this already,” Rarity replied.

“Sound of what?”

“It already sounds like you have another ‘magical’ solution up your sleeves here, and considering how extreme the other one is, I’m afraid to find out what this new one is.”

“Oh relax, would you,” Trixie said, flipping the pages of the spell book before putting a hoof on one page in particular. “There, it’s a knowledge transfer spell. We touch heads, think some thoughts, let some magical energy flow, and poof, I’ll know everything you know about Gala stuff. Easy peasy.”

“Trixie, you can’t just ‘magic’ your way into learning stuff like that. There’s no short cuts to perfection when it comes to the ins and outs of high society. It is an art that - .”

“Yeah yeah, heard the whole spiel about ‘no shortcuts’ and stuff after I almost became a draconequus,” Trixie said, rolling her eyes. “Look, it’s a temporary spell, and I’ll probably forget it all in like a week. I just need it for tonight so I can show up Blueblood and all those other Canterlot noble types who I know are thinking I’m not good enough to be Luna’s apprentice. I just want to show them that I can beat them at their own game is all.”

“Trixie, is that what this is all about? Proving you’re ‘good enough’ to be Luna’s apprentice?” Rarity said. Trixie blushed.

“Well…Blueblood at least seems to think I’m not good enough, and I bet there are probably others to. I mean, the things I’m most famous for are setting a school auditorium on fire, running away from a monster, and trying to enslave an entire town using an ancient evil artifact,” she said. “Look, Twilight was a magical genius when she was an apprentice, and apparently Princess Cadence was already an alicorn when she was an apprentice. Compared to that, what chance do I have? At the very least, being a great party guest should help improve my reputation to ‘mild annoyance’ among them.”

“No, you definitely aren’t an alicorn, Trixie,” Rarity said, putting a hoof on her shoulder. “But, I do think you’re selling yourself a bit short here. Sure, we haven’t exactly had the best history,” Rarity said, glancing away for a second as she tried to think of how to finish that sentence. “What I can say, though, is that you are a showmare, and is that kind of talk how a showmare is supposed to act?”

“…huh?” Trixie said, confused.

“Trixie, darling, I make my living in the fashion industry, and let me tell you, you will never have to have a better stage to perform on than at a fancy party. Being charming, wooing crowds. If anything, you’re probably more qualified than Twilight was when she started at handling this part of an apprenticing for a princess.”

“…really?”

“Just to let you in on a secret, but that Gala where I very briefly dated Blueblood? That was also Twilight’s first Gala. In fact, from how she tells it, she was a complete shut in till Celestia forced her to come to Ponyville.”

“That...somewhat makes me feel better,” Trixie said, laughing a little.

“That’s better. Look, I understand that with all the alicorn stuff that Twilight might seem ‘perfect’, but just like you, she’s had her own challenges to overcome, and you have your own skills you need to learn to utilize. So, go down there and be not Twilight or Cadence or whoever, but be the best Trixie you can be.”

“Please, as if I was going to be anypony but Trixie,” Trixie replied, “Just, you know, one who knows proper silverware usage.”

Rarity rolled her eyes, but with a smile, and bumped her head against Trixie’s.

“I think I can concede to helping with that. So now what?”

“Just think about all that fancy party stuff flowing down a river towards me,” Trixie said, her horn glowing as she began to cast the spell. Within seconds a string of magic connected the two’s foreheads.

The magic circle from earlier, however, was also glowing.

“Trixie, is that supposed to be happening?”

“Uhh, no, no it is not,” Trixie said, trying to cancel the magic. However, before she could think about that, information about spoons and forks and curtsying interrupted her thoughts. The glowing was beginning to increase, spreading from their foreheads to their whole bodies. As it covered them completely there was a bright flash of light.

And then, darkness.

“Ugggh, my head is killing me,” Trixie said, moaning as she tried to stand up. Her voice sounded kind of off, but headaches kind of messed with all that stuff anyway. “Are you alright, Rarity?”

“I believe so, darling,” Rarity replied. Again, Trixie thought the voice sounded off, but again chalked it up to the headache.

As she stood up, she felt a rush of vertigo and kept her eyes closed till she regained her composure. Once the room finally stopped its spinning, she took a look around.

“Uhm, Rarity, why is my body on the other side of the room?” Trixie said, watching as her body made its way up from the floor and do a similar routine of getting itself situated.

“What do you…why is my body on the other side of the room?!”

Trixie heard that, but had trouble processing that that had been her voice coming from her body on the other side of the room. Her body had responded to “Rarity”, however, so logic suggested that if she looked down…

“Uh, I think we just exchanged a little more than just knowledge.”

Author's Note

As I noted in a blog post, I basically took the holidays off from fic writing. Now that I gotta get back on that "writing dissertation" wagon, though, going to also get back to this as my creative outlet. So let's enjoy some shenanigans! I do love me a good body-swap episode...

Edit: I almost forgot to put this in, but for the dresses I based them off the following artwork and wanted to credit the artists:

Luna: https://www.deviantart.com/evilfrenzy/art/Luna-Gala-444690779
Trixie: https://www.deviantart.com/ab-anarchy/art/Trixie-At-The-Gala-301192390

At the Gala - Part 1

“This is the absolute most dreadful thing that could have happened!”

Trixie’s first thought as she watched “herself” pace back and forth in a panic was that it was rather disorienting listening to your voice come out of your body when your body was several feet away. Even odder was that she was not feeling the same level of anxiety. Perhaps she was just disassociating a bit? Instead, out of curiosity, she looked over her new foreleg, really wanting to just take a moment to process all this. Rarity’s coat was really fine and well-maintained. While she liked to think her own coat was pretty well groomed, Rarity’s was on a whole other level. It was pretty impressive, especially once you realized that with a white coat like hers every little speck of dirt would probably show up and yet it looked spotless.

“Trixie! Are you even listening to me! Stop gawking at my foreleg and figure out how to fix this...this...thing you did!”

Her thoughts were interrupted by “her” hoof bumping her on “her” muzzle, her attention now drawn to the rather annoyed yet anxious look “her” face was currently wearing.

“Oh, right, sorry. I was just, uh, still processing everything,” she said, putting the foreleg down. The slight bit of movement was enough to jostle her mane about, however, and she had to wonder just how exactly Rarity dealt with this massive curl. “I’m sure I can get this fixed up in a jiffy..”

The comment seemed to reassure Rarity, who sighed as she stepped back.

“I’m sorry I was so rude, darling. Honestly, this isn’t even the weirdest that has happened to me these past few years, but it was still rather startling to...hmmm.”

“What?” Trixie asked as Rarity went silent and began to stare at her.

“Oh, nothing. I was just taking a moment to look over myself. Mirrors are nice and all, but being able to actually see yourself brings a certain level of realism to the experience…do you think there’s time for you to model a few dresses for me?”

“Uh, no,” Trixie replied. “Just a second ago you were panicking about how being me was the worst possible thing, and I have a Gala to get to anway, so I think it’s best we switch back as soon as possible.”

“Yes, quite right,” Rarity replied. “Though, I do want to clarify that your body is not exactly the worst possible body I could have been switched into. You do appear to have some rather fetching features, and your mane has a lovely silver shine. You might not be on the level of somepony like Fleur de Lis, but I think I could get you some modeling jobs, if you were interested,” she said, taking a moment to look herself over.

“Thanks but no thanks. I don’t think I’m cut out for that, especially if I’d have to wear my mane like this,” she said, the slight bounce of the giant purple curl in her peripheral vision being rather annoying as she walked back over to the spell book. “Anyway, I think I have an idea on what might have happened.”

“A pity on the no, but otherwise wonderful! Care to fill me in?”

“Well, that giant diagram Princess Luna put on the floor is a transformation magic spell circle,” Trixie said, looking between the book and the spell circle on the floor, which still had the faintest of glow as residual magic faded away. “If I’m honest, she did most of the work on it, but, basically, the idea of it is to kind of make you into your ‘ideal self’ or something like that.”

Rarity glanced downwards.

“I don’t think this exactly my ideal self. No offense.”

Trixie shrugged.

“Eh, I think it was more in the ‘image conceived in your mind” or something like that. Less ‘perfect version of you’ and more ‘what you think you should be’. Luna wanted to be a non-alicorn version of herself, so she’s not an alicorn.”

“Again, no offense, but I did not want to be ‘you’, and I’m presuming you didn’t want to be me,” Rarity replied.

“Well, I think that’s where the knowledge transfer spell came in. See, I didn’t want to ‘be you’, but I did want your knowledge. I think the knowledge transfer and the transformation spells kind of got all jumbled up since we were standing right on the spell circle and decided transferring our minds was the best way to sort it all out. We’re probably lucky it didn’t, like, just decide to explode our brains or something.”

Rarity looked flushed at the thought.

“Anyway, I think all we need to do is just do it again and we should be back to normal,” Trixie said, walking back over to the circle.

“Well, it sounds like somepony has benefited from their lessons with the Princess. But, are you sure we should mess with it again? Perhaps it would be best if we fetched Princess Luna, or perhaps Twilight could help. She’s had experience with this type of thing after all.”

Trixie, who had been busy touching up some of the spots of the circle that had gotten scuffed, felt her eye twitch at the mention of asking Twilight for help.

“No, no, it’s fine. I mean, I helped Luna with the circle and that knowledge spell is pretty low level. There’s no need to bother anyone with this silly little problem,” Trixie replied. “Now, just stand over there like before and let’s get this over with.”

“Well, if you’re sure you can do this,” Rarity replied, stepping back onto the circle.

The two once again touched forwards and waited for the magic to start up.

“Alright then, ready to go in three...two...one....and go!” Trixie said, concentrating on generating a surge of magic and thinking about how she really wanted to be back in her own body.

The tip of her horn began to glow with a light blue energy, but instead of a powerful wave of magic and knowledge, a few sparks of energy puttered out and then...nothing.

“Heh heh, sorry about that. Must just be a little tired after the first casting. Just, let me try again,” Trixie said, taking a moment to rest before trying again only to get the same results. Gritting her teeth she tried a third time, and yet again nothing.

“Why won’t you work!” she said, glaring up at the horn.

“Please don’t strain yourself, Trixie. Perhaps I can give it a go?”

“Knock yourself out,” Trixie said, watching as Rarity tried to bring out magic, but again all that happened was some sparks.

“Whew, perhaps we’re both a bit tapped out?” Rarity said.

“Maybe. I don’t know, it just felt a little...off when I tried to use magic, you know? Do you think the magic knows we’re not really ourselves right now and is resisting?” Trixie said.

Rarity chuckled.

“I really don’t think that’s how magic works...right? In any case, it seems we have no choice but to sit here until one of us has recovered enough to cast the spell,” she said. She looked down at herself with a look of disappointment. “It is a pity, though, that this dress won’t be down there dazzling the Gala.”

It was then that Trixie had an idea.

“Why don’t you go ahead and go?”

Rarity blinked.

“Go. To the Gala? Trixie, have you already forgotten our current situation? I hardly think attending the Gala is the best idea in a time like this.”

“No, no, think about it. I wanted to be the best Gala guest ever, and everything I was going to use I learned from you, the poor mare who has been so unfairly banished from the Gala by the vengeful Blueblood,” Trixie said, putting a foreleg around Rarity. “And now you have a chance to go to the Gala and show Blueblood up by making me look good. A win for everybody!”

“And what, exactly, would you be doing while I’m attending the Gala?” Rarity said, raising an eyebrow.

“Okay, I’ll admit, I’ll just be sitting up here being lazy, but that’ll help me recover the magic faster so I can switch us back when everything’s done. You’ll just need to get here before Luna gets back and gets rid of the circle after midnight and no one will ever know.”

“Trixie, I understand that winning this bet with Blueblood means a lot to you, but I’m not going to go down there and impersonate you,” Rarity replied, slipping out from underneath Trixie’s grasp.

Trixie sighed and walked over to Luna’s bed, flopping down onto it before getting smacked with Rarity’s curl. Seriously, how did that mare deal with this? Anyway, she settled in before looking back at Rarity.

“Fine, go ahead and get out of the dress then. No point wearing it if no one’s going to see it,” Trixie said, just waving a hoof in the direction of the nearby dress rack.

“I can still wear it till we switch back. After all, you might recover really quickly and still have a chance to wear it,” Rarity said, fidgeting a bit as she looked down at the dress.

“No, no, it’s fine. Go ahead and make yourself comfortable. I mean, the Princess is already wearing one of your dresses so I’m sure you’ll get exposure...oh, except I guess she’s not the Princess right now.”

“...I know what you’re trying to do, Trixie,” Rarity said, looking back at her with a flat expression.

“Too obvious?” Trixie said, rolling onto her back and getting comfy as her mane was smushed, something that elicited a groan from Rarity.

“Yes, and please do not mess up my hair. It takes a lot of work to make it look so magnifique.”

Trixie ignored the order, instead just focusing on the first part.

“I mean, it’s true though, you won’t get to be the one who designed a dress for the Princess’s new apprentice, just some random nobody,” Trixie said. “And meanwhile, if I never show up Blueblood is probably going to spend the whole time boasting about it, so that means my reputation will probably go right back into the garbage, and who knows what that’ll do to what ponies say about the Princess.”

“Trixie! I’m disappointed that you would resort to such obvious and underhoofed manipulations to convince me,” Rarity said, startling Trixie.

“Why would you be disappointed by that?” Trixie replied.

“Well, I wouldn’t have been disappointed by the old Trixie making such comments, because I would have expected that. But, between what Twilight has said about what Luna has said about and having worked with you these last few days, I had really thought that perhaps you had moved on from such tactics.”

“Hey, I don’t need a lecture from you, okay,” Trixie said with a huff. “You’re one of the Elements of Harmony on top of all that high class society stuff. I mean, you said it yourself, I’m a showmare, but I’m a showmare that’s known less for her shows and more for ‘monsters being set on towns’ and ‘being a tyrant.’ Being Luna’s apprentice has been great and all, but that’s only getting me so far on improving what ponies think of me. Getting just this one, little win would really mean a lot.”

Rarity sighed again, putting a hoof to her face as she did so.

“Trixie, you understand that my reputation didn’t come overnight, right?. I worked hard to get to where I am. True, being the Element of Generosity might have opened a few doors here and there, but for the things that really mattered I have spent years working hard to get where I’m at. I know the lifestyle of a fashion designer and high society must look glamorous to somepony on the outside, but it can be absolutely brutal, with its own share of setbacks that you have to just pick yourself up and carry on through. I’m sorry, Trixie, but I can’t do what you’re asking me to do.”

“Ugh, fine,” Trixie said, looking up at the ceiling. “Guess I’ll just have to live with Blueblood rubbing my nose in it for the next year.”

“I do I think you’ve been over estimating how much influence Blueblood really has, Trixie. In fact -”

Before she could finish the sentence, the door to the bedroom was opened as Star Breaker, in her Night Guard armor, hovering in the doorway with the flaps of her bat-like wings..

“Hey, sorry to barge in like that, but ‘Serena’-” she said, making air quotes motions with her hooves, “- sent me to check and see what the hold up was. The Gala’s about to start any minute now.”

Rarity and Trixie looked at each other to try and figure out what to say, but Trixie was quicker on the draw.

“Oh, my apologies, darling. I was just about to leave when I had a bit of a spell from looking at how dazzling Miss Trixie here looks in her dress and needed to lay down. I told her that she could go on ahead, but she was adamant about staying.”

Rarity looked back and glared at Trixie, but quickly followed through on the lie.

“Yes, she looked like she needed someone to watch over her. In fact, I think I’m going to stay here with her, just in case,” she said. “So just let ‘Serena’ know that I’m not going to be able to make it.”

“Nonsense, Trixie. I’m feeling perfectly fine now,” Trixie said, seeing a chance. She moved off the bed, standing perfectly fit as her mane moved almost perfectly back into place. “See, no harm done at all.”

“No, no, I really couldn’t just leave you behind. What if you relapse?” Rarity replied.

Star Breaker, meanwhile, stood by rather confused.

“Hey, uh, I hope I wasn’t walking in on anything…”

Rarity reacted first with a “No! Nothing like that!”

“Okays, but seriously, we do need you down there as soon as possible, Trixie. Considering the whole ‘Serena’ situation, you’re kind of needed if Princess Luna is actually going to get into the Gala. You know, the whole ‘I invited my cousin’ part of your plan that you just had to rope me into for some reason?”

Both Trixie and Rarity had forgotten that part, and Rarity simply sighed in defeat. She turned towards Trixie, nominally to “check one last time if she was okay”, but once close she started whispering.

“It seems I have no choice but to go, for Princess Luna’s sake. I promise not to do anything that will embarrass you, but that is all I will do. Just try and remember what we talked about, okay?” Rarity said, gently brushing at what was supposed to be her mane. “Sorry, you had a strand out of place.”

“Uh, again, if I was interrupting something I could totally let you have a few more minutes,” Star Breaker said, leaning into the room a bit to try and get a better look.

“You didn’t interrupt anything, dear. Like Rarity said, she had just fainted, and I wanted to make sure she was okay before we left,” Rarity said as she turned around, putting on that dainty kind of smile she always had but on Trixie’s body.

“Okay, if you say so. Don’t worry, I’m not a gossip...most of the time,” Star replied, grinning. “I take it you know how to get to the main hall by now,” she said as she moved to the side to let “Trixie” pass.

“Yes, I do,” Rarity said, taking one last look back at Trixie. “Rarity, just be safe, okay? Wouldn’t want to see you harm a single hair on that lovely mane of yours,” she said, with a look that Trixie could easily read as having “or I will personally ruin your life” left unsaid.

“Speaking of being safe, and I do apologize about this Rarity, but I gotta escort you off the premises,” Star Breaker said.

“Wait, what? Why?” Trixie replied, Rarity stopping to wait on the answer.

“Yeah, normally I’d be okay with just letting you go wherever cause, you know, national hero and close friend of every princess. But, it’s standard protocol that on big nights like this no guests are allowed outside of the main areas without supervision, and since both Princesses and Trixie will be at the Gala…”

Oh crap, Trixie thought. Being thrown out of the building all night would be a real problem if they wanted to get this fixed before anyone found out.

“Are you sure you couldn’t make an exception for me,” Trixie replied, putting on a bit of a pout, which got a facehoof from Rarity.

“I really wish I could, but my bosses are pretty tight on this kind of thing and I’m about one strike away from latrine duty. Again,” Star said, shrugging. “So sorry Rares, gotta escort you out.”

“You said she needed supervision, right?” Rarity said. “Perhaps you could simply hang out here with her, make sure she’s alright?” Rarity said, glancing over at Trixie, who was not sure why Rarity was batting her eyelashes and nodding towards Star Breaker, whose attention was completely on “Rarity”.

“Again, I really, really wish I could, but I got floor duty. If I’m not back at the hall in ten minutes...well, again, latrine duty,” Star replied, again looking really confused about the whole situation. “Look, you two lovebirds will just have to meet up again tomorrow morning, okay?”

“We’re not lovebirds! I am just trying to look out for my very dear friend is all,” Rarity said, sounding really offended at the idea, making Star back up just a bit.

“Okay, I got it, sheesh. Look, if she’s really feeling unwell I can take her to the infirmary and have them take a look, but otherwise she’s gotta go.”

It seemed they were out of time and excuses. For now Trixie would just have to go with Star Breaker and figure out a way to get back in later. Just how hard could it be to break into the castle anyway?

“Alright then, darling. If it’s that important to you that I go then I guess I’ll leave,” Trixie said, walking towards Star, who looked rather relieved that this whole confusing mess was ending.

“Like I said, I’m really sorry to be doing this. It really ain’t right that Blueblood snubbed you, but I gotta do my job so - “

“No worries, darling, I understand,” Trixie said, turning towards Rarity. “Enjoy the Gala, Trixie, and remember what I told you earlier. Just be the best Trixie you can be,” she said, giving Rarity a wink as the two were parted.

Rarity, meanwhile, simply sighed and started towards the main hall. It was in moments like this that she knew her title of “Element of Generosity” would be tested. When this was over she was going to have a long, long chat with Trixie. But, for now, she had no choice but to straighten her posture, look confident, and put on a show. Even in the worst of messes, a proper lady remained graceful and elegant, and ‘literally not being in your own body’ was a right proper mess to be in.

Luna was waiting nervously in the line outside of the castle. While she did not look out of place, being just another highly dressed up mare in a line of many very dressed up ponies, she couldn’t help but feel like a fake. In a sense, she was of course - this was, after all, not her usual appearance or identity. At the same time, it had been based on her younger self, so was it really fake if it was just another version of you?

It wasn’t even that she was being scared of being discovered. After all, she was a princess, so falsifying her identity was just going to be seen as an odd quirk or a prank. It would also mean that her plans for the night would be foiled. That, honestly, was her bigger fear, that this would just turn into another disaster like the dinner party. She really could just use this one night not being the princess to figure out how to deal with these type of social situations.

“Why, cousin Serena, it’s a pleasure to see you again!”

Luna jumped at having her thoughts interrupted, but relaxed immediately upon seeing that it was Trixie standing next to her. Oddly, she seemed rather annoyed by something but was hiding it with a smile.

“There you are Trixie! I was wondering when you were going to come out and get me. Come, come, give me a hug!” Luna said, motioning Trixie to hug her. It was odd to see Trixie so hesitant to come over, but eventually she did.

“Trixie, is something the matter? You look irritated. Is something off with the dress?” she said in a whisper, using the hug as a bit of a shield against the otherwise lack of privacy.

“The dress is perfectly fine,” “Trixie” (who, unknown to Luna still was actually Rarity) said, oddly defensively about it. “There was just some...minor inconveniences while getting dressed. I’ll be fine by the time we get in,” she continued, ending the embrace and standing back.

“Well, then I guess we should make our way in and improve your mood” Luna said, hoping that everything was alright. If Trixie said she would be fine, though, she would trust her.

Of course, they could not immediately go in, and so the next few minutes were spent awkwardly waiting in line. Much of the small talk was focused on Trixie’s surprising amount of knowledge about the outfits and social standings of the various ponies. The lessons with Rarity had apparently paid off quite well. If this was some new passion of hers perhaps Rarity would be willing to offer some tutoring? It would be good for Trixie to have more hobbies, or at least that was Celestia’s view. After Twilight, she apparently thought it would be good to make sure future apprentices had ways to make friends that didn’t involve trying to fulfill ancient prophecies, and Luna couldn’t exactly disagree with the idea.

The small talk eventually ended as the two approached the entrance, where the real test of Luna’s new disguise would really begin.

“Evening Trixie. Could I see the tickets for you and your guest?” the guard, one of the many larger cream-coated stallions that Celestia seemed to like for her Royal Guard, asked.

“Yes, of course, right…” Trixie said, beginning to pat herself looking for the tickets. After a moment of panic, though, she found them in a pocket that had been built into the inside part of the front part of the dress. “Right, there they are. Tickets for one Trixie Lulamoon and her cousin Serena Lulamoon.”

The guard barely even looked, probably thinking this was all a simple formality considering the guest’s status and well-known face among the castle staff.

“Alright, looks good. Enjoy the evening, ladies.”

They were waved through, and Luna felt a breath escape that she hadn’t even known she had been holding in.

“That went well,” Luna said, giddy at the thought she had been completely ignored by the guard! No bowing, no ‘your majesties’ or ‘princess’, just a simple glance to make sure she wasn’t an immediate threat and then indifference!

“So, what do you think of your first ever Gala?” Luna said, looking over at Trixie.

“Well, Blueblood may be an oaf, but he does know how to throw a party,” Trixie said. “Oh, uh, if you’re the really stuffy type, of course.”

Luna laughed at Trixie’s comment. This did indeed seem to be a party of high quality by the standards of Canterlot’s elite, but from her experience she was sure that Trixie would be in agreement with Pinkie Pie that the place needed a party cannon or two. The small band of past years had been upgraded to a full orchestra, and the sound of classical music echoing gently throughout the entire place. The buffet was fully staffed by waiters and other servers, with a variety of hoof-foods, salads, and even some heartier dishes that had some ponies move to the tables to eat, fulfilling both type of party goers needs. Decorations were minimalist but stylish: she had half expected some giant statue of Blueblood somewhere, but instead he had allowed for banners and highlights that served to accentuate the castle’s natural beauty. He had even placed lavender in all the wall scones, which she personally appreciated. Few pony’s ever seemed to have noticed that detail.

“I’m surprised to hear you compliment him, Trixie. I would have thought you would have found this rather underwhelming compared to your usual tastes,” Luna said, gently bumping at her now same heighted apprentice. It was odd how much that made her feel giddy inside to be able to do that.

“Oh, right, uh, yes, this party is totally lame. I should put on a magic show and dazzle the guests with my magical feats,” Trixie replied, though she lacked the usual energy and pizazz such an announcement would have had. Perhaps she was being sarcastic?

“Street performers were not my initial idea for tonight’s entertainment, but perhaps it would be amusing to see you perform for audiences with...more refined tastes.”

Luna glanced over at the new voice, seeing that they had been approached by Prince Blueblood. Being able to observe him without him being aware that his aunt was nearby was probably going to be one of the highlights of the night. Already he seemed to be confirming some of the worse she had heard about him, but for now she would have to hold back on a scolding.

“My, we’re honored that the host would personally come to welcome us,” “Trixie” replied.

“I, uh, yes, welcome to the Gala,” Blueblood replied, obviously unsure how to react to Trixie’s not taking the bait. His attention turned away from Trixie and towards her, giving him an excuse to change topics. “And who, exactly, is this lovely mare,” he said, extending a hoof to her.

“I’m Trixie’s cousin, Serena Lulamoon,” she said, putting her own hoof out in expectations of a hoofshake. Instead, he bent down and gave it a gentle kiss (though not on the actual hoof, of course), and let go. Luna was concerned for a moment before recalling that had apparently developed as a custom at some point in time since she had been imprisoned.

“Pleasure to meet you, Serena. I was not aware that Trixie was related to a mare as refined looking as yourself.”

Okay, this was now getting a bit weird. It was likely some polite introductions, but Luna was not completely unaware of courtships among the court, and the look he was giving suggested his intentions were not of a simple pleasant greeting but a stallion attracted to the mare he was looking at.

“You flatter me?” she said, unsure of how exactly to react to this other than the desire to shut this down immediately. She could not blame him for the attraction, of course, since as far as he was aware she was just some normal single mare, but she had no desire to encourage this.

Before he could continue his flattery, however, a waiter appeared and whispered something in Blueblood’s ear, causing him to groan and roll his eyes.

“No, I told them that the ice statue was to be placed outside, where the evening air would keep it chilled. Must I do everything myself.”

He looked back to the two of them and then gave them a small bow.

“My apologies, but it appears that there is a problem I must address. I look forward to seeing you again, Serena,” he said, giving her a smile that quickly disappeared when he turned his attention to Trixie. “And enjoy the party, Trixie.”

The two of them were soon left alone once again.

“That was an odd interaction, but it is proof that my disguise is working, is it not Trixie?” Luna said, again rather happy about this fact, but watched as Trixie’s eye twitched and she looked at Blueblood with a glare. “Trixie, are you okay?”

“Oh, yes, I’m fine. Just suddenly remembering why I don’t like Blueblood is all,” Trixie replied. “Now, let’s go make this the. Best. Night. Ever.”

Author's Note

Apologies for the "I was playing Fire Emblem: Three Houses the last few weeks" delay. One little note on this chapter regarding Luna's part. This fic has roughly taken on a limited third-person perspective, where we see things from Luna and Trixie's view unless absolutely necessary. During Luna's segments, till she finds out otherwise, "Trixie" is "Rarity in Trixie's body". I tried to note that in text, but if you were confused in the second part that is why I say "Trixie" instead of "Rarity" when "Rarity in Trixie's body" is speaking.

... yeah, body switch stories can be a bit confusing to write.

Arc 2: Grand Plans for the Grand Galloping Gala

“Hey, you missed a spot.”

Trixie groaned as she looked up into the rafters, her personal warden giggling at her from up in her perch above the kitchen. There was something particularly infuriating at how casual Star Breaker looked laying up there. That she was able to do so in her Night Guard armor was baffling.

“I was just about to wash that spot,” Trixie said with a huff as she pushed the scrub brush towards the spot Star Breaker had pointed out.

This had been her life for the past month. Just her scrubbing the kitchen floors – the messiest floors in the castle – while Star Breaker stood guard to make sure a certain mish-mash of creatures didn’t try any funny business. Apparently tearful confessions of anxiety and hugs were not quite the get out of jail free card Trixie thought they were (hey, worked in Ponyville). Besides, as long as the chaos magic was still running through her system, Luna had thought it too dangerous to go back to magic lessons, lest Trixie’s transformation into a draconequus continued. So, Luna had thought, some hard work with no magic allowed had seemed the perfect way to both punish her for making deals with Discord and to keep her busy enough (and tired enough) to do any magic.

Well, Luna hadn’t completely cancelled magic class. It was more that the practical lessons had been replaced with lots and lots of “theory of magic” lessons. Trixie would have rather just been expelled. How in the world did Twilight every find any of this stuff “fun” anyways?

Fortunately, by this point her body had returned to normal. No more Ursa paws and bunny rabbit tails, just her hooves and her luxuriously silver-colored mane and tail. Luna, of course, would have to do a check just to make sure her system was completely purged, but this was a good sign that her reign as “Chief Floor Scrubber” would finally come to an end. Just a few more –

“Trixie, watch out!”

Trixie watched as a blob of jelly splattered on the floor in front of her.

“Star Breaker, you said you’d stop bringing peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to guard duty! You know you put way too much jelly in those things,” Trixie yelled at the bat pony.

“Hey, cut me some slack. I have to watch you during what’s supposed to be my dinner break. But don’t worry about it, this time it’s on me.”

Standing back, she watched as Star Breaker jumped down from the rafters, her wings flapping just enough to keep it from being a crash. Once she had her landing, the bat pony simply crouched down and…

“Ugh, did you really need to lick it off the floor?!” Trixie shouted.

“If you did your job it should be clean enough to eat off of, right?” Star Breaker replied, apparently satisfied with the display. “But seriously, just give me the brush. I’ll clean this spot since it’s my fault. You go and do whatever it is you do in those magic lessons with Princess Luna.”

Not one to complain about getting out of work, Trixie happily handed the brush and bucket over to Star Breaker. The mare was kind of weird and a little lazy (by guard standards), but over the last month the two had gotten along well enough. At the very least she was talkative, unlike many of the more stoic guards that routinely hung around the castle. If she had to be left here in here in silence? Sent shivers down her spine.

“Thank you. Hopefully, after tonight, you can finally go back to your normal guard stuff. Though, honestly, after spending a month with you I have no idea how they let you be a guard in the first place,” Trixie replied teasingly.

“Eh, what can I say. Having a hard head and stubborn attitude can get you pretty far in the guard business,” Star Breaker said with a shrug as she started to work on the spot.

“Uh, don’t you mean being hard-headed?”

“No, I literally have a hard head, and a body. Helps me be really good at ramming things, and the guard really appreciates a pony who can body slam a door open without bruising.”

Trixie blinked as she processed the thought, then slowly began to turn towards the exit.

“Right, well, I’m going to go ahead and head out now. Thanks again for covering – OOF.”

Stumbling backwards, Trixie rubbed at her muzzle. As she regained her footing, she began to look up at who it was she had bumped into.

“Oh, sorry about—"

“I do say, somepony should take better care to watch where they are going. You could have damaged my vest.”

Trixie rolled her eyes before giving this stallion who had interrupted her attempt at being apologetic a look over. He was a unicorn, a bit larger than her, white coat, long blonde mane and tail. His cutie mark looked like one of those compass roses on really fancy maps. At the moment he was frantically looking at his decorative vest, his bright blue eyes rapidly looking over every detail as he used his magic to tug and twist it back into perfect shape.

“Welcome to the kitchens, Prince Bluebood. Star Breaker at your service.”

Turning around, Trixie spotted Star Breaker standing in salute. The unicorn walked forward, gently bumping Trixie out of the way as he did so.

“At ease, but I am pleased to see that at least somepony remembers the proper protocol for addressing me,” the unicorn, apparently named Prince Blueblood, said.

While she had no idea what the proper protocol for this guy was, but that smarmy voice of his was really starting to get to her enough, and she knew what the protocol for that was. Before she could simply sneak out and leave Star Breaker to deal with this, however, he had apparently returned his attention to her.

“Speaking of which, who, exactly, might you be?”

Well, if there was one thing that Trixie enjoyed, it was introducing herself.

“Oh, my apologies. I am Princess Luna’s newest apprentice, the soon to be master of arcane arts, The Great and Powerful Trixie!”

She might not have had her cape and hat to add the full effect, but she still gave a magician’s bow at the end. Simple and polite, but hopefully enough to put her back in charge of this conversation.

As she stood up, however, she saw that this Prince Blueblood was completely unphased.

“Ahh, so you’re the apprentice I heard about. Honestly, I’m a little surprised you’re still here. I had thought you were expelled after the Discord fiasco.”

Trixie could feel a twitch in the corner of her eye. She began to open her mouth to say something, but thankfully Star Breaker interrupted her.

“Princess Luna decided to allow Miss Lulamoon to remain her apprentice, under the condition of one month spent scrubbing the floors under my supervision. She was just about to leave for her lessons, Prince Blueblood.”

“Ah, is that so? I had wondered why the kitchen looked drabber than normal. I mean, there’s a jelly stain right in plain sight,” he said, and Trixie appreciated solidarity from Star Breaker as her eye twitched as well.

“That was my mistake, and I was in the process of cleaning it. If you are worried that the kitchens will not be ready in time for the Grand Galloping Gala, I can assure you that the normal cleaning crews will be back starting tomorrow night.”

“Hmm, I suppose that will have to do,” Blueblood said with a sigh. “But, just in case, I will have my own personal janitorial staff arrive to do a second inspection. After all, I am in charge of Gala preparations this year, and I will not suffer it to be as disastrous as…that year.”

His attention returned to Trixie, and the raised eyebrow he gave her really made her wish that she still had some chaos magic, just to maybe seal up his mouth or something.

“Miss Lulamoon, was it? I suppose you are planning to attend the Grand Galloping Gala?”

“Uhh, yeah, why wouldn’t I?”

“Simply wondering. As I said, I will do everything in my power to make sure this year things will go perfectly, and I wish to make sure I am aware of all the potential…complications that might occur.”

Oh, he was just asking for her to do something, wasn’t he? However, she was just literally minutes away from freedom, so picking a fight with this stallion was the last thing she needed to do. She would not, however, let him have the last word.

“I can assure you that come the night of the Gala that I, The Gracious and Elegant Trixie, will be the most elegant and graceful guest at the gala.”

There was a second of silence as Blueblood looked at her, and then he began to laugh as he turned around to leave.

“Oh, you are quite the character, Miss Lulamoon,” he said, wiping away a single tear that had appeared in the corner of his eye. “It is my hope, of course, that you can hold yourself to that standard. But –” his eyes narrowed as he gave her one last look – “should you ruin this evening for me, I assure you I can make your time in Canterlot quite the unpleasant experience.”

And with that, he was gone, and Trixie could hear Star Breaker sigh with relief.

“Oh thank Luna he’s gone,” Star Breaker, said, taking a moment to sit on the ground. “I have never met such a pony so full of themselves in my life, and I’m a guard in Canterlot, so that’s saying something.”

“So…who was that anyway?” Trixie replied, double checking to make sure he was really gone. Coast looked clear to her.

When she looked back at the bat pony, however, Star Breaker looked dumbstruck.

“You’re joking, right?”

“Uhh, no?” she replied. “Why would I know someone as obnoxious as him?”

“Prince Blueblood? Most eligible bachelor in Canterlot? Nephew of the princesses…sort of.”

Star Breaker began to wave her hoof in the air as if she was trying count something, but she quickly gave it up and just shook her head.

“Okay, he’s, like, their some number of great-nephew through…something. I don’t know, the royal family tree is kind of a mess. I think it involves Princess Platinum or…whatever, not important. What is important, however, is he’s kind of a big deal in the Canterlot social circle.”

“Oh, is that all?” Trixie said, shrugging as she turned to leave again. “Never really payed much attention to politics.”

Before she could exit, however, she found her way blocked by the bat pony, which gave Trixie a moment to notice that bat pony was about a head taller than her. Huh.

“Yeah, you kind of lost the right to say that once you became the apprentice of a princess. One way or another, it’s going to catch up to you.”

Trixie rolled her eyes as she side-stepped the bat, making her way out of the kitchen and starting the walk to Luna’s chambers.

“Seriously? I already turned halfway into a draconequus after making a deal with Discord and I’m still here. What exactly is the worse he can do?”

“Hmm, fair. He doesn’t really have that much pull with the princesses. But, if there’s one thing I learned having to stalk you for the last month, it’s you’re a lot more…extraverted than Twilight was,” Star Breaker said as she began to fly next to her.

“So?” Trixie sad, giving the bat pony the side-eye with raised eyebrow.

“Well, Twilight was the center of a lot of rumors when she was here. But, well, lock yourself up in a library all day and they don’t really get to you. You, however, are a pony who needs to be in the spotlight.”

“True, true,” Trixie said with a nod.

“And while his rep took a bit of a hit after this one mare just absolutely ripped into him at the Gala, he’s still got enough of a pull that he could make sure you’re never invited to just about any high-society events, ever.”

“Still not seeing the problem here. The Grand Galloping Gala is pretty much my limit for that kind of stuff anyway.”

Star Breaker facehoofed and took a deep breath.

“Okay, how about this. He’s got enough clout that, if he wanted to, he could get you blacklisted so you could never perform in any theater in Canterlot.”

Star Breaker had the slightest smirk as Trixie stopped, brow furrowed with determination.

“Oh, so that’s the kind of game he wants to play? Well, the Great and Powerful Trixie already vowed to be the best guest at the Gala, but now Trixie will become the best guest of any Gala ever!”

“Trixie, no, that’s not…and she’s gone.”

Star Breaker simply flew in place as she watched Trixie’s form disappear down the hall and up the stairs towards Luna’s chambers. On the one hoof, she appreciated Trixie’s enthusiasm and energy. On the other, well, Trixie did kind of have a record of bad decision making. If she was really planning to go all out at the Gala, well, maybe Blueblood had a point about making sure there were plans in place for complications…

“Mmm, perhaps this one? No, it might come off too ostentatious. This other one, however, might come off too simple…”

As Luna looked over the various sketches of dresses that Rarity had sent her, she was starting to appreciate why her sister simply went in the royal regalia and nothing else. Fashion had become rather different since the days of yore. Some formal gowns reminded her of the older fashions, but others would have been scandalous in the court of Princess Platinum. Figuring out what kind of message she wanted to send and how to send it would be more complicated than she thought.

“What do you think, Tiberius? Which would you pick?” she said, nudging the papers towards her pet possum, who was comfortably laying on a pillow on the desk. Her question asked, he stirred a bit and began to look them over. After several seconds passed, however, he simply shrugged.

“Thank you for trying. We may need to pay Rarity a visit to ask more about how fashion has changed in these last thousand years,” she said, sighing as she used her magic to push the papers to the side, Tiberius scrambling back to his cushion to rest.

Of course, the choice of what to wear was simply a symptom of her larger worries. She had avoided the last few Galas, first due to having only recently returned and not yet ready, the rest simply out of using her nightly duties as an excuse to avoid going. Her sister, however, had noted to her the importance of attending now that she had an apprentice. A formal presentation of her to Canterlot society would be beneficial, especially in helping Trixie gain a larger social circle beyond the castle staff. No repeating the mistakes with Twilight.

“ ‘Plus, it would help you not be such a shut-in’ ” Luna said, mimicking her sister’s voice with a tinge of sarcasm. At the time she had protested she had, in fact, did go gout, but from her sister’s view her dream walks and the castle holiday parties didn’t “count”.

“Easy for her to say. She was always better at the parties than I was. Even an hour leaves me so drained,” she said, flopping onto the table, looking up at the clock. Trixie would probably be done cleaning soon, meaning it was almost time for her and lessons. By now Tiberius was comfortable asleep, leaving her with nothing more than her thoughts.

“Hmm, one more minute of self-pity should do it.”

It was mostly a joke, but she did, legitimately, feel that way as well. The expectations regarding the availability of princesses was much higher now than in the old days, thanks in part to her sister’s own preference for being out and about among the ponies setting several centuries of precedent. It wasn’t exactly a bad thing either. It helped to increase the bonds between ruler and subject, and she so did enjoy Nightmare Night parties. At the same time, however, she had always valued the quietness that the night gave her, even as she wanted more ponies to enjoy it. Now plenty of ponies took advantage of the night to party and enjoy themselves and, well, now she didn’t want to join in. The irony was smothering, really.

“Still, it is expected of me now to attend such things. Plus, Trixie would likely enjoy it, and I can’t abandon her to face the socialites on her own. Speaking of which, she should be hear by—"

As if on cue, Trixie came barreling through the door, stopping with a slide as she turned to face Luna, her breath taking a moment to catch up with the mare.

“Trixie, there was no need to rush to get here. Did something happen?”

“Prince…Blueblood…blacklist…theaters,” the mare said, panting between words.

Having the usual set of tea and sandwiches ready to go, Luna encased the teapot in her magic and poured a glass, levitating it to Trixie and supporting her as the blue-coated mare quickly downed it. After a moment the mare’s breath stabilized.

“Could you please say that again? What is this about Prince Blueblood?”

“I ran into him earlier, and he kind of said that if I messed up the Gala that he’d make me life here miserable, and then Star Breaker said he could probably get me blacklisted from the theaters. And I will not stand to be banned from any theater before I get the chance to perform there”

Luna sighed, but she held back from rolling her eyes. After the events of the previous month she had learned to take Trixie’s anxieties more serious and were worth addressing head on. Even when those anxieties sounded like the same tired anxieties about gossip and social drama she dealt with in the dreams of the Canterlot elite.

“Trixie, I understand that my…nephew, was it? Celestia was never quite forth-coming on how exactly he is related to me, now that I think about it,” she said, rubbing a hoof under her muzzle in thought before putting it back down. “But, in any case, I can assure you his bark is worse than his bite. That is the saying, right?”

Trixie nodded.

“Right. As I said, while I understand that Prince Blueblood can be a rather…aggravating pony at times, and particularly spoiled, but I have never understood him to be particularly cruel,” she said, walking over to their usual meeting table, pouring herself some tea. “Still, if he has truly threatened you in such a way, I will remind you that the words of a princess are worth more than a distant nephew’s complaints. If he does, in fact, attempt to ‘blacklist’ you, I will personally have a word with him and any ,” she said, triumphantly drinking her tea.

“Yeah…I don’t want you to do that,” Trixie said as she took her own place across the table.

“Oh?” Luna replied, curious as to the mare’s reasoning.

“I mean, don’t get me wrong, I love being your apprentice, and I maaaay have used the social status that comes with that to score some box seats at an upcoming magic show for free.”

“You did you what?”

“Not important.”

Luna made a note to ask Star Breaker which establishment had done this so that she could properly refund them later, after a talk with Trixie. She was aware that Trixie’s new status would come with potential perks, but it was probably best to curb the desire for such special treatment.

“The thing is, if Blueblood does have a thing against me, using you to get around it will just make it worse. It’d be, like, when you’re a kid who isn’t popular at school so your mom goes around and talks with the other moms about play-dates. Then, because those moms loved the idea they force their kid to hang out with you, which makes them resent you even more, making you really unpopular.”

“Did…did that happen to you?”

“Magic kindergarten. Which means I got the experience to know that the best way to deal with this is to stand up to him myself,” Trixie said, nodding firmly. “And I got a plan.”

Upon hearing that, Luna could just feel the anxiety bubbling up inside her. While she trusted that Trixie’s failed dealings with Discord had dissuaded her from going for the most drastic of ideas, that did not mean that the mare’s imagination would not jump to the second most drastic plan.

“And what, exactly, does this plan entail?” she asked, a slight grimace of worry on her face as Trixie began to laugh.

“It’s simple, really. I, the Graceful and Elegant Trixie, will master the social graces of the Gala so well that she will become known as the ‘greatest Gala guest’ ever!” she said, slamming her hooves down on the table in dramatic punctuation, apparently startling Tiberius awake, who squeaked in protest before scrambling off somewhere more quiet to sleep.

Luna waited to hear more for this plan, perhaps something involving fireworks or something else. When Trixie simply stood there, forehooves still on the table, Luna simply had to blink.

“Is that it?”

“That’s it.”

The weight lifted off of Luna’s shoulders at confirmation that Trixie’s plan was, simply put, to just learn proper social etiquette and be perfectly lovely at the Gala. She even had to laugh a little, leaving a gentle smile behind.

“If that is what you wish to do, Trixie, then you have my full support. In fact, if you would like, you can even join me in my own lessons on the proper etiquette for the Gala.”

“Wait, you don’t know it already?”

Luna shook her head.

“No, not anymore, it seems. Sure, some habits have survived the millennia, but enough has changed that I’m at a bit of a lost on many things. You see, back then, we were not expected to mingle as much as is custom now. In fact, just before you got here…”

Glancing over at her desk, Luna floated over the various dresses that Rarity had sent her and displayed them to Trixie.

“I was at a complete loss at what dress to wear. Twilight’s friend Rarity had sent such lovely samples, but I… is something the matter?”

Luna stared at Trixie, the latter’s eyes widened and glued to the dresses. When prompted by her question, however, Trixie went face first into the table.

“Ugggh, I completely forgot about ordering a dress. How long is it until the Gala?”

“Two weeks.”

“UUUUGGGGHHH, there’s no way I can get a dress in time. How did I completely forget about that?”

Luna glanced at her pictures again and, remembering her earlier jealousy of her sister’s decision to simply wear the regalia, she had hatched her own plan.

“If you’re willing to let me use my pull as princess just a bit, I think I can arrange a dress for you in time.”

“You mean just ask Twilight’s friend to do it?” Trixie said, her face no longer buried in the table but instead propped up on a hoof in thought.

For a moment Luna was concerned Trixe was going to reject the idea. Twilight was still a touchy subject to Trixie for some reason, but she hoped things had progressed enough that the idea of one of her friends helping her would be off-putting.

“You know what, that should be fine. She must be good if you’re looking at them, and if I’m going to beat Blueblood at the Gala I want every advantage I can get.”

Well, one could call that emotional growth. Though it was mostly Trixie’s competitiveness that was spurring this potential reconciliation, which was not exactly Luna’s first choice in methods, sometimes it took allying with an enemy out of convenience for a friendship to form. Hopefully at least that much could occur.

“Well, it is my understanding that Rarity is quite the dressmaker, so I can only assume that arriving in one of her dresses will surely make you the bell of the ball…that is the saying, right?”

“Did you mean bell with no ‘e’ or belle with an ‘e’?”

“The former?”

“It’s the latter.”

“Right, then, I will arrange for the dress as soon as possible. You may need to visit the royal tailor to get measurements taken. It may be a little last minute, but I’m sure Rarity can use any of these designs as a starting point for a design.”

“Whew, that is such a relief. It would have been terrible if my master plan had fallen apart before it even began,” Trixie said, sitting back up and wiping her brow. “Anyway, enough about that. Magic lesson time!”

Luna chuckled as she levitated over the usual stack of books they had become so reliant on this past month of magic-free magic lessons.

“Very well, Trixie. I’m quite confident that Discord’s chaos magic has finally purged itself from your system and it is therefore safe for you to use magic again.”

Luna watched as Trixie’s eyes lit up with excitement, and for a moment she felt quite guilty for what she was about to do next.

“However, as we did not finish last night’s lessons on the magical theories of Starswirl the Bearded, I already planned this one to be a continuation. As such, it is unlikely the case we’ll get to actually casting magic tonight.”

And with the usual groans of despair from Trixie, another night of lessons began.

Author's Note

Hey, look, there's actual writing now, like, half a year later. Job markets suck, back at grad school another year, and fanfic is just so nice to come back to as something to write about that's not your dissertation or cover letters.

So this chapter kicks off the next arc of the story, which will center around Trixie and Luna's various anxieties leading up to the Grand Galloping Gala. As I've said in blog posts, I'm hoping this time around I can write the story with a broader supporting cast of characters, but the action will still mostly be split between Trixie and Luna's perspectives. I am hoping to keep a steady pace with this and not have a whole year break in between or anything again. So, enjoy!

Edit: Since it's been a few years since Star Breaker was first introduced in "In Somepony's Shadow", and it was in one scene, figured it'd be good to reupload the artwork done of her by my friend Coffee, who did art of several years ago:

You'll learn a bit more about her throughout the story, but I just like showing off my friend's art.